Re: The make a new soldier trend

**SilentSunshine** · 12-13-2009, 06:50 PM

I remember when I first started playing on TG I thought Zhohar and Z.H.O.E.Y. were two different, well-skilled people before I began listening in on TS and found out the actual case!

There is another person, not a wearer of |TG|, but a great player who liked the server (hasn't played in months, BTW) and who had about five, YES, FIVE, aliases. Did that bother me? Well, no. I just called him by the name he was using.

People do have fairly distinctive voices. I don't feel it would be worth recognizing someone's style of play without recognizing their voice. Therefore, I can't see how squadding with a person's new character would bother someone. I scarcely ever squad up with the cool people like Zho and Frozen, but due to reading the forums and ususally listening on TS, I think I know who's who for the Slaya thing.

Of course, I've got my alter ego, BronteStorm, and I did recently make another character mostly because I thought the name was catchy but haven't played with it yet. I certainly don't mean to offend anyone with my characters, and I don't think anyone else has such intentions. Just my musings.

**Bert Haanstra** · 12-13-2009, 06:50 PM

I can understand both sides.
Sometimes you want to be anonymous and join or create a squad without getting the same persons in.
But sometimes you want to know who you are playing with. Especially when you're going for aa objective.

And to derail it a little further: I find it frustrating for |TG| squad leaders to kick pubbies or demotivate them when they don't fit the squad, without friendly letting them know that there could be another squad where they might fit in.

**Vortex421** · 12-13-2009, 07:09 PM

Anonymity breeds the belief that you can do whatever you want or say whatever you want and get away with it. After all, an anonymous person is one who cannot be identified and caught. But Tactical Gamer is a community that requires two key aspects: Maturity and Respect. These two concepts are the foundations for the community and the reason that so many of us congregate here on a regular basis. Though we all operate under psuedonyms, we instead attribute respect to those psuedonyms as a result of the basic "glue" of the community.

Reputations are important, whether we want to admit it or not. Respect is given instinctively to those whose reputations, in our eyes, are sound. Respect is not given to those who we do not feel have a good reputation (Note, the word "good" here is subjective. We all have our own moral compass and yardsticks we use when establishing reputations and giving respect). The very wearing of TG tags instills a measure of respect and reputation with the person wearing them. Some IHSes have established a reputation and a respect that is conferred automatically upon the person wearing the tags of that IHS. And, in turn, the actions of those wearing tags of an IHS have an impact on the perceieved reputation of the IHS.

Reputations spread to the battlefield. I have fought with and against many of you over the course of the past three (almost) years. We've traded jokes, exchanged taunts, and had many laughs and cries together. There have been nights where there have been screams of anguish over a 1-0 defeat, and sighs of relief from a 1-0 win. I've had many of you in my squads. Over time I've come to know how many of you play in-game. I know, for example, that Hooper and his sniper rifle are a match made in heaven (or hell, depending on your point of view), that Arithea and APCs are a good combination, and that flying against ArmoredBear is probably a quick way to a Purple Heart ribbon. Frankly, the memories that we've made in this place are probably the real reason that I returned to 2142 after my hiatus to try other games.

I think that my biggest issue here is that, as sc1 has put it, if you are playing an alt whose name I do not recognize, then I have no idea who you are. If you wind up in my squads or are SLing when I command, I have no idea what you are capable of. If you are playing an alt that does not wear TG tags and I do not recognize your name, then I assume that you are a pubbie and I will act accordingly. And that rankles me because it's not fair to you or to the experiences that you and I have had together. Moreover, if you are playing an alt that does not wear TG tags and are a member of the community, then I have a harder time accepting that you are a serious member of the community and intend to uphold the values and ideals that the community stands for.

Yes, these are serious words from one who has a reputation and a penchant for doing crazy and fun things. I've been a part of TG for close to three years now and I hope to remain a part of this community for a long time to come. And as the time passes, I want to continue to be able to have fun and create more awesome memories with everyone else in the community.

**BigMcLarge** · 12-13-2009, 07:53 PM

Very, very well said Vortex!

Global.Cooling · 12-13-2009, 08:56 PM

I have 2 soldiers. 1 for TG server and another for pubbies. But either way I play by the TG rules.

The only other time I've uses an alias is when my IHS has run a theme night.

DA DA DA DA *SNAP *SNAP DA DA DA DA *SNAP *SNAP

**MrTango** · 12-13-2009, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by Oracle77

I don't really agree with the hurting the TG community philosophy over name changes. To paint this idea in corporate terms. TG is the branding of this particular community. And individuals on the server really are just workers toiling away. They are still here building the community regardless of their names. And their voices (literal and figuratively speaking) are still providing the same spirit of play that TG benefits from. I can understand this philosophy more if we are talking about key admins changing their names since their presence builds a reassurance of quality control on the server. But imo I see no long term determent to TG as a group otherwise. Everyone enjoys playing for their own reasons and any effort to wag the finger over something as simple as a name only serves to push them away from the group. Creating an issue over something trivial seems counter intuitive to the mature, fun loving group of gamers I think TG is.

Thought it worth repeating.

ask self: "Mountain or molehill?"

**Oracle77** · 12-13-2009, 09:28 PM

Anonymity breeds the belief that you can do whatever you want or say whatever you want and get away with it.

I'm sorry to disagree with you here Vortex but this is conjuncture. This does not fit whats going on on the TG servers atm and therefore I don't see how you can possible apply this as fact or an issue at this time.

I think that my biggest issue here is that, as sc1 has put it, if you are playing an alt whose name I do not recognize, then I have no idea who you are. If you wind up in my squads or are SLing when I command, I have no idea what you are capable of. If you are playing an alt that does not wear TG tags and I do not recognize your name, then I assume that you are a pubbie and I will act accordingly. And that rankles me because it's not fair to you or to the experiences that you and I have had together. Moreover, if you are playing an alt that does not wear TG tags and are a member of the community, then I have a harder time accepting that you are a serious member of the community and intend to uphold the values and ideals that the community stands for.

I think we can learn a good lesson by NOT placing so much credence on the TG tags or name. I have seen some pretty snobby things on TG on occasion like locked -6 TG only squads, TG members kicking pubbies from squads to replace them with TG mates or just plan out leaving a squad they created thats full to remake a new one with mates. I realize people want to squad with friends but I think this is going to far. Because we don't recognize names? If its a TG member already you can bet they're probably on TS anyway. And I don't feel you're gonna build a healthy community because you know everyone all the time and in return shun a name you don't recognize. We aren't playing tournaments here. We're having fun. Play with a name you don't recognize and don't worry so much about it. Personally I give more respect to someone who tolerates a stranger then someone who must know me to have fun and play with me. You can not conjuncture because I am a stranger that we can not accomplish something great together.

This is a non-issue. I don't see any anonymous TG members breaking rules or hiding themselves away. I don't see anyone creating drama via anonymous soldiers. People are just amusing themselves with no real damage to the server, themselves or the TG community at large and further huffing and puffing over it really only serves to fracture the community.

On a lighter note, anyone notice my new soldiers name spells out Oracle with in it? Nora_Charles!

**BeSiege82** · 12-13-2009, 09:40 PM

This actually shows our prejudices about non-TG players... This is bad to be honest...

**Vortex421** · 12-13-2009, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Oracle77

I'm sorry to disagree with you here Vortex but this is conjuncture. This does not fit whats going on on the TG servers atm and therefore I don't see how you can possible apply this as fact or an issue at this time.

Is it? I've had experiences in forum moderation where everyone posts under a pseudonym - I used to moderate for a local newspaper's forums. In one case, one of the forum trolls was also a county administrator - I knew because of the e-mail address used to register the account. I think that it's more reality than conjecture. However, in my original post, before editing, I had two paragraphs talking about anonymity that were deleted. So I probably should have rewritten that before I hit the Post button. Sorry.

I think we can learn a good lesson by NOT placing so much credence on the TG tags or name. I have seen some pretty snobby things on TG on occasion like locked -6 TG only squads, TG members kicking pubbies from squads to replace them with TG mates or just plan out leaving a squad they created thats full to remake a new one with mates. I realize people want to squad with friends but I think this is going to far. Because we don't recognize names? If its a TG member already you can bet they're probably on TS anyway. And I don't feel you're gonna build a healthy community because you know everyone all the time and in return shun a name you don't recognize. We aren't playing tournaments here. We're having fun. Play with a name you don't recognize and don't worry so much about it. Personally I give more respect to someone who tolerates a stranger then someone who must know me to have fun and play with me. You can not conjuncture because I am a stranger that we can not accomplish something great together.

As a matter of fact, I do play a great deal with names I don't know. Some of those people have become TG members in turn. Others, like yourself, I have become familiar with over time and gotten to know better. Once I know the name the reputation starts to establish itself because you have joined the COMMUNITY. That's what this is all about - community and being a part of a community.

I think you're reading more into my post than needs to be read. When I say that I "act accordingly" with regards to pubbies, it means that I teach them, take them under my wing, and help them learn about the community. It also means that, if I am SLing or COing, I pay a bit more attention to them in an effort to help them learn and make sure that they are a part of the teamwork that I try to instill in my squad and squad leads.

**Oracle77** · 12-14-2009, 12:41 AM

I think it is conjecture because its not the case here on the TG server. Not that it doesn't happen anywhere ever or that anonymity never leads to immature behavior. Its just not what we're dealing with on TG.

I know I was specifically responding to your statements Vortex but I wasn't trying to target you as an example of bad behavior. I'm sorry if you read it this way. I was really just giving my counter opinion and tying it into some generally behavior I have observed as a stepping stone to make a broader point on the whole unfamiliar names and how we as a group deal with them.

Seems not much left to be said on the issue here... I'm gonna back away slowly.

**Vortex421** · 12-14-2009, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by Oracle77

I think it is conjecture because its not the case here on the TG server. Not that it doesn't happen anywhere ever or that anonymity never leads to immature behavior. Its just not what we're dealing with on TG.

I know I was specifically responding to your statements Vortex but I wasn't trying to target you as an example of bad behavior. I'm sorry if you read it this way. I was really just giving my counter opinion and tying it into some generally behavior I have observed as a stepping stone to make a broader point on the whole unfamiliar names and how we as a group deal with them.

And I understand. You're fine.

I don't doubt that the behavior you have observed goes on. In fact, I have witnessed it for myself. It's hard to say, with so many people, just which views in particular are the norm. Since I could not ascertain if you were directing your statements at me, I felt it better to clear up any ambiguities that existed with my post because I realized that they did exist.

When I talked about anonymity, I did so with the intent of saying that, though TG is still an anonymous board, because we operate using maturity and respect as focal points it significantly lessens the factors. Here we are held accountable for our actions. Since we strengthen the bonds of friendship and camaraderie in-game, we strengthen the community as well, which is what sc1 was alluding to. First and foremost, we are a community. Every new player that graces our server and joins our forums becomes a part of our community. The bonds that we establish on the battlefield are carried forward to the forum, and vice versa.

Anyways, Oracle, I do enjoy your different viewpoint and I really don't take offense to it. You present yourself well and, though your opinion is different from mine, I still respect it.

**trekfan** · 12-14-2009, 02:10 AM

An interesting topic to be sure. Frankly, playing under the same solider name is just fine with me. It makes recognition easier for friends and foes. I've been killed by a lot of folks here on the forums, and I can name at least one for a large portion of the members. I like that fact a lot. It's not about whether anonymity breeds rule breaking or anarchy, but rather the fun memories I have attached to a lot of names.

For instance, I'm sure we've all been killed by Chris Hooper here before-usually with a sniper shot to the head or an APM. I can't tell you how many times I've been lit up by Old Gunney, or blown up by rockets from Lt. Holt.

Does going under a different soldier name really harm the gameplay that much? It increases the possibility of rule breaking and glitching, but doesn't guarantee it will happen. True, it can take away from the gameplay momentarily, but a well placed message, chat, or Team Speak acknowledgment can avoid any awkward moments.

Truly, when one plays the TG way, one rarely can stop playing it at will. We've all seen the mindless anarchy out there on other servers; people podding on roofs, RDX whoring, bunny hopping, and a huge list of other offenses-it's like going from civilization to the middle ages when leaping from the TG server to most anywhere else.

I think it works the same way when playing the TG way; one can't simply switch it off (at least I can't) without feeling something slip away.

So, sure new soldier names are annoying sometimes, but if these guys or gals play the TG way, I have faith they will continue doing so under then new moniker.

As for new visitors, or perhaps rule breakers, we can deal with them in game. They either play the TG way or don't, and if they don't they aren't welcome on the server. Simple as that.

At the very least if people started new soldiers I'd miss the old ones; many a good memory attached to a lot of names out there.

**Mordona** · 12-14-2009, 02:16 AM

Just to put everyone on the same 'offical' page. No matter what tags you wear, forum name you have, soldier you play. Everyone is held accountable to the same standard and should never be treated differently based on differences of name or opinion.

The rules and policies in place refer to anyone who uses TG property which includes game servers and the websites. Even if a person does not agree to our standards, they must respect them to be able to continue use of TG property.

Everything else is matter of opinion and no one should feel pressured to make any decisions based on this thread. You can take anything from this thread as a suggestion and make choices you feel you are willing to make.

**Reaperassault** · 12-14-2009, 03:21 AM

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I've been on both sides of the coin for this one and can say that I don't think any permanent damage is done to the community but it can make for some odd situations. If I see a TG squad I do expect a certain level of ability (or at least being able to listen) and I do expect less out of pubbies. This is of course not always the case there are some good pub players without any sort of tags that do well. From a commanding point of view you have to be able to asses your team and recognize what assets you have, with the most recent example with all the slayer people if an unknowing person person is commanding it is easy enough to assume that they would be a pub squad when in fact they are a group of talented TGrs. From a peer point of view on the field having a squad named after pokemon can lend itself to making impressions that it is a joke and that they could possibly not take the rounds seriously (I'm not saying that is what happened but it is just a possible scenario). Having played an unknown alt before I can say that it is fun to regain all your unlocks and re-appreciate the toys that you take for granted most of the time (I'm looking at you IDS). I can understand both sides of the argument but the point of making a new soldier with a name based upon your usual name is a great way to have fun getting your unlocks again without fuss. If you are making soldiers to kind of escape from your usual routine on the server there are other servers out there that do exist, surprising I know but they can still be fun, especially when you realize that you can't live without teamwork. Hopefully everyone makes the alts for fun and not out trying to escape anything. Its perfectly fine to take a break or change your play style but no need to hide yourself from all your TG friends.
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**Repaq** · 12-14-2009, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by reaperassault

[giantwalloftext]
i've been on both sides of the coin for this one and can say that i don't think any permanent damage is done to the community but it can make for some odd situations. If i see a tg squad i do expect a certain level of ability (or at least being able to listen) and i do expect less out of pubbies. This is of course not always the case there are some good pub players without any sort of tags that do well. From a commanding point of view you have to be able to asses your team and recognize what assets you have, with the most recent example with all the slayer people if an unknowing person person is commanding it is easy enough to assume that they would be a pub squad when in fact they are a group of talented tgrs. From a peer point of view on the field having a squad named after pokemon can lend itself to making impressions that it is a joke and that they could possibly not take the rounds seriously (i'm not saying that is what happened but it is just a possible scenario). Having played an unknown alt before i can say that it is fun to regain all your unlocks and re-appreciate the toys that you take for granted most of the time (i'm looking at you ids). I can understand both sides of the argument but the point of making a new soldier with a name based upon your usual name is a great way to have fun getting your unlocks again without fuss. If you are making soldiers to kind of escape from your usual routine on the server there are other servers out there that do exist, surprising i know but they can still be fun, especially when you realize that you can't live without teamwork. Hopefully everyone makes the alts for fun and not out trying to escape anything. Its perfectly fine to take a break or change your play style but no need to hide yourself from all your tg friends.
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tldr

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