Post by The Shootist on May 24, 2006 13:40:55 GMT -5
Okay, over the list someone was talking about Team BlackJack, out of ATL. I went to their site and looked at their rules, and gear guides, et cetera.
To a certain extenet, I like the ideas of teams and MILSIMs; but I also like the idea of casual gaming. It's a game, it's supposed to be fun; why make it any more complicated than that?
It's, also, fun to have a defined structure, and a bit of discipline when/if we were to go up against other teams. Also, working out team tactics, hand signals, codes/phrases, heirarchies, primary and secondary skills (i.e. support gunner, sniper, scout, etc), et cetera can be fun and interesting, adding a new dimension of intelligent combat to the game.
So, I'm curious to hear what other people think.
Who advocates doing the Team thing, and who only cares about the game as a game, or both? Most importantly, why?
--------------------------
I advocate this system:
If you go to Team BlackJack's website, linked above, they have levels of membership. I say we build upon that idea.
Private - Private First Class: Purely casual gamer, has no responsibilities to show up at game, but must confirm- a week in advance- to be able to participate in any game. Must obey FPS rules, and other field guidelines; but doesn't need to have any special equipment (BDUs, web gear, full size replica weapon, et cetera). May not be able to participate in certain "hardcore" MILSIMs, may be required to pay a fee for use of the course. Can pick which rank they are (PVT, PV2, PFC). Required to attend at least one game a year.
Specialist or Corporal: A casual gamer (Private) who volunteers regularly to help out with site maintainence, et cetera- freeing him from the need to always pay a fee. Otherwise, a Private-Private First Class. Pick their rank (SPC, CPL). Required to attend 2 games a year. This can also apply to casual gamers who only occasionally want to play in MILSIMs. MILSIMS require extra gear: BDUs, and a real-sized weapon.
Sergeant - Master Sergeant: Basic MILSIMers. Required to have basic BDU set, (any country is fine, any military branch, I think it's safe to say the Camo pattern must be Woodland or OD Green. Loosely required to have some basic web gear (a web belt with canteen(s), and ammo pouch; or a ruck sack; or a tactical vest; etc). Basically, something to carry your equipment in, that fits with the idea of Military Simulation (MILSIM). Must have a "REAL" weapon. No, not real steel, but it must be the same size as the real thing. Yes, plastic weapons can be "real". May get laughed at for having a clear plastic M4 springer than you fall on and break ;D , but it's allowable. Is required to help with on site maintainence before game at least once a year; and must attend 3 games a year. I figure we'd either do a yearly due that would cover field cost for the year, or we'd do a small yearly due that would go towards buying a case of bio BBs, and maybe a team patch. One way there'd be no field fees, the other there would be. Can pick their rank (SGT, SSG, SFC, MSG). Required to have either patches to display rank, or blacked-out metal ensignia.
First Sergeant-Sergeant Major: Basically the same as a Sergeant-Master Sergeant, required to have a radio, and a ruck sack of some sort (to carry replacement batteries for the radio, and a basic first aid kit, along with extra water). Must attend 4 games a year. Must help out with site maintainence twice a year, at least. Can pick rank (1SG, SGM, CSM). Due to the requirements added to them, for gear, they can go with any style of Tactical Gear (All Black, Desert Camo, et cetera). Maybe Dave could give these guys a bit of a discount on site fees, but that's something that'd have to be discussed- for now, don't count on it. Automatically get moderator status here on the boards.
Supreme Commander: Must fit requirements as a First Sergeant - Sergeant Major. Is elected by 2/3 majority of the First Sergeants - Sergeant Majors. This is the overall Team Leader. He must have a rank of Colonel or higher. This is for if we play with other teams with officers, or high ranking members, we have someone to speak for us. He has additional responsibilities of coordinating the gaming site, and letting the rest of the team members know about upcoming games/events/site maintainence days. Settles ties in votes done by the lesser Ranks. Doesn't get to vote, but gets to speak on all topics, and decides when the official vote occurs. Again, maybe we can work out a deal with Dave on letting this person get off with a discounted site fee, or something. This person is required to attend 5 or more games a year, and participate in 2 or more site maintainance days.
----------------------
Firstly, if you have any questions on ranks, look here. Very good resource on what the ranks mean, and how many soldiers tend to be under them- plus shows the insignia.
Secondly, Other Issues, sorta mentioned:
Site Maintainence (SM):
Two types: General and Game
Game SM is generally policing your own garbage, picking up after the days gaming, and not flicking cigarette butts everywhere. Anyone at the game is expected to follow all site rules on litter/garbage/trash/refuse.
General SM are those times when the team gets together to make new bunkers, barricades, artillery, etc. Also, these include generally helping Dave around his place so that we may continue to use that as a site. Ask Mongo for more info on this. So far I'm a paying member, not a working one.
Voting:
There will be issues that arrise, there always are. Any team member can call for a vote, at a game; only Sergeants and above can call for a vote at other times. Votes are not polls (here on the board), though a poll may be used. All votes, unless otherwise stated, are passed via simple majority. The Supreme Commander (SUC) will decide certain things, like who gets to vote (What Rank and above). All First Sergeants and above will always vote; except the SUC- as stated earlier. The SUC does decide when the vote will be taken; and the First Sergeants (and above) can vote to force a re-vote. This keeps the SUC from being able to pass bullshit rules that no one else agrees with.
Ranks:
Anyone Can be a Master Sergeant or Below, by simply meeting a few criteria. First Sergeants, and Above, must be voted it- along with meeting the basic requirements.
Anyone who is voted up, but doesn't meet the basic equipment requirments will have 3 months to meet these requirements, at which time there will be a vote, if this vote fails, the member has lost their chance, and may not try again for six months. If the vote passes, the member has 3 more months to acquire the equipment.
The Unit:
My idea for the unit, is to generally restrict it to woodland camo BDUs; but to define it as a mercenary company. That way, you can use whatever country's cam scheme you like, so long as it's woodland or OD Green. This allows flexibility; plus we're not annoying anyone by taking the name of a real ARMY\MARINE unit. We can even write out a fake background about the whole thing- allowing it to reflect the team as a whole.
In Conclusion:
I'm not saying we'd only play MILSIMs, and people get to choose their ranks for a reason, because- except for category- they don't really matter. But this would lend itself, fairly easily, to switching quickly between MILSIMs and casual games. Plus, there are minimum requirements for gear; but there aren't the strict gear limits of some other teams. Things are a lot more lax. You can have full Battle Rattle, and remain a Corporal because you don't want to be anything else. That's perfectly cool.
All of these things are negotiable, most of them are simply guidelines I'd like to use. Anyone got comments/changes/ questions?
{Wow, a lot longer than I intended, but I think that covers my opinion, except where there may be clarification issues}.
To a certain extenet, I like the ideas of teams and MILSIMs; but I also like the idea of casual gaming. It's a game, it's supposed to be fun; why make it any more complicated than that?
It's, also, fun to have a defined structure, and a bit of discipline when/if we were to go up against other teams. Also, working out team tactics, hand signals, codes/phrases, heirarchies, primary and secondary skills (i.e. support gunner, sniper, scout, etc), et cetera can be fun and interesting, adding a new dimension of intelligent combat to the game.
So, I'm curious to hear what other people think.
Who advocates doing the Team thing, and who only cares about the game as a game, or both? Most importantly, why?
--------------------------
I advocate this system:
If you go to Team BlackJack's website, linked above, they have levels of membership. I say we build upon that idea.
Private - Private First Class: Purely casual gamer, has no responsibilities to show up at game, but must confirm- a week in advance- to be able to participate in any game. Must obey FPS rules, and other field guidelines; but doesn't need to have any special equipment (BDUs, web gear, full size replica weapon, et cetera). May not be able to participate in certain "hardcore" MILSIMs, may be required to pay a fee for use of the course. Can pick which rank they are (PVT, PV2, PFC). Required to attend at least one game a year.
Specialist or Corporal: A casual gamer (Private) who volunteers regularly to help out with site maintainence, et cetera- freeing him from the need to always pay a fee. Otherwise, a Private-Private First Class. Pick their rank (SPC, CPL). Required to attend 2 games a year. This can also apply to casual gamers who only occasionally want to play in MILSIMs. MILSIMS require extra gear: BDUs, and a real-sized weapon.
Sergeant - Master Sergeant: Basic MILSIMers. Required to have basic BDU set, (any country is fine, any military branch, I think it's safe to say the Camo pattern must be Woodland or OD Green. Loosely required to have some basic web gear (a web belt with canteen(s), and ammo pouch; or a ruck sack; or a tactical vest; etc). Basically, something to carry your equipment in, that fits with the idea of Military Simulation (MILSIM). Must have a "REAL" weapon. No, not real steel, but it must be the same size as the real thing. Yes, plastic weapons can be "real". May get laughed at for having a clear plastic M4 springer than you fall on and break ;D , but it's allowable. Is required to help with on site maintainence before game at least once a year; and must attend 3 games a year. I figure we'd either do a yearly due that would cover field cost for the year, or we'd do a small yearly due that would go towards buying a case of bio BBs, and maybe a team patch. One way there'd be no field fees, the other there would be. Can pick their rank (SGT, SSG, SFC, MSG). Required to have either patches to display rank, or blacked-out metal ensignia.
First Sergeant-Sergeant Major: Basically the same as a Sergeant-Master Sergeant, required to have a radio, and a ruck sack of some sort (to carry replacement batteries for the radio, and a basic first aid kit, along with extra water). Must attend 4 games a year. Must help out with site maintainence twice a year, at least. Can pick rank (1SG, SGM, CSM). Due to the requirements added to them, for gear, they can go with any style of Tactical Gear (All Black, Desert Camo, et cetera). Maybe Dave could give these guys a bit of a discount on site fees, but that's something that'd have to be discussed- for now, don't count on it. Automatically get moderator status here on the boards.
Supreme Commander: Must fit requirements as a First Sergeant - Sergeant Major. Is elected by 2/3 majority of the First Sergeants - Sergeant Majors. This is the overall Team Leader. He must have a rank of Colonel or higher. This is for if we play with other teams with officers, or high ranking members, we have someone to speak for us. He has additional responsibilities of coordinating the gaming site, and letting the rest of the team members know about upcoming games/events/site maintainence days. Settles ties in votes done by the lesser Ranks. Doesn't get to vote, but gets to speak on all topics, and decides when the official vote occurs. Again, maybe we can work out a deal with Dave on letting this person get off with a discounted site fee, or something. This person is required to attend 5 or more games a year, and participate in 2 or more site maintainance days.
----------------------
Firstly, if you have any questions on ranks, look here. Very good resource on what the ranks mean, and how many soldiers tend to be under them- plus shows the insignia.
Secondly, Other Issues, sorta mentioned:
Site Maintainence (SM):
Two types: General and Game
Game SM is generally policing your own garbage, picking up after the days gaming, and not flicking cigarette butts everywhere. Anyone at the game is expected to follow all site rules on litter/garbage/trash/refuse.
General SM are those times when the team gets together to make new bunkers, barricades, artillery, etc. Also, these include generally helping Dave around his place so that we may continue to use that as a site. Ask Mongo for more info on this. So far I'm a paying member, not a working one.
Voting:
There will be issues that arrise, there always are. Any team member can call for a vote, at a game; only Sergeants and above can call for a vote at other times. Votes are not polls (here on the board), though a poll may be used. All votes, unless otherwise stated, are passed via simple majority. The Supreme Commander (SUC) will decide certain things, like who gets to vote (What Rank and above). All First Sergeants and above will always vote; except the SUC- as stated earlier. The SUC does decide when the vote will be taken; and the First Sergeants (and above) can vote to force a re-vote. This keeps the SUC from being able to pass bullshit rules that no one else agrees with.
Ranks:
Anyone Can be a Master Sergeant or Below, by simply meeting a few criteria. First Sergeants, and Above, must be voted it- along with meeting the basic requirements.
Anyone who is voted up, but doesn't meet the basic equipment requirments will have 3 months to meet these requirements, at which time there will be a vote, if this vote fails, the member has lost their chance, and may not try again for six months. If the vote passes, the member has 3 more months to acquire the equipment.
The Unit:
My idea for the unit, is to generally restrict it to woodland camo BDUs; but to define it as a mercenary company. That way, you can use whatever country's cam scheme you like, so long as it's woodland or OD Green. This allows flexibility; plus we're not annoying anyone by taking the name of a real ARMY\MARINE unit. We can even write out a fake background about the whole thing- allowing it to reflect the team as a whole.
In Conclusion:
I'm not saying we'd only play MILSIMs, and people get to choose their ranks for a reason, because- except for category- they don't really matter. But this would lend itself, fairly easily, to switching quickly between MILSIMs and casual games. Plus, there are minimum requirements for gear; but there aren't the strict gear limits of some other teams. Things are a lot more lax. You can have full Battle Rattle, and remain a Corporal because you don't want to be anything else. That's perfectly cool.
All of these things are negotiable, most of them are simply guidelines I'd like to use. Anyone got comments/changes/ questions?
{Wow, a lot longer than I intended, but I think that covers my opinion, except where there may be clarification issues}.