Why We Play...

Dear all,

So, I belong to an Empires and Puzzles gaming community, and it has recently had a subtle, but impactful, shift from 'a community that has fun playing the game, honoring, respecting, and guiding its members' to 'you must use every flag if you choose to participate in wars.'

What is the impact of this, dear members?

Do you remember Jish?

Jish was a member of this community. Not the most outspoken, but a good, solid player that participated in the game and achieved some good milestones. Jish was just booted from this community for not using all (nor, in fact: any) of his flags in our most recent war.

So, now, this gaming community, that used to honor and mentor each of its members, now can boot members because folks have shifted to a results-oriented community.

Members are no longer important: results are. You participate in a war, you use all your flags, or you're out.

What does that mean for the community? And what does that mean for me?

The relationship I've built with Jish, and, by extension, everyone in this community, has now taken on a temporary air, and an arbitrary one at that. Jish had two bad days. Was he mentored on these days? Did he participate in rectifying his standing with the community? I don't know. I do know what happened: he's 'X'd. He's gone.

And so are you, dear members. War is now a 'have-to-have' for you. You must participate or you must opt-out, and if you miss either of these: two strikes, and you're out.

Anybody remember the founder of this community? Solanar. He actually cried when, in one war, we used all our flags. Its not that we won or that we lost, it's that we all came together, and he was proud of us.

What happens now? We use all our flags, does anybody cry? Does anybody care?

I think not. I think that the response now is: "Well, that's expected of you."

What is your purpose, community? If your purpose is not: "to bring joy to its members," then what, even, are you? Is your purpose now: "To win wars, no matter what"? I think this is becoming our purpose, and, if that: we will start booting members for 'not using your flags effectively' and 'not having a war-team up to snuff.'

I'm on the chopping block, and so are you, dear members.

But even if I'm not on the chopping block, what concerns me more is that you are. You do something congratulatory, I congratulate you in game-chat or on LINE, and, next thing I know, like Jish, you're gone. Our relationship in this community is ended, and it's because I didn't speak up and say: "What the hell? Is winning wars what we're about now, because it was never that before."

It was never that before. Winning wars was nice, and awesome, and we won wars, ... a lot of them. But that was never our focus: our focus was the community and the mutual support and respect of one another, and with that mutual respect, we won wars. Now we do not have that mutual respect: we now have expectations, and that will erode morale, and that will cause us to lose more wars, and that will cause further draconian measures from leadership, unless you, members, speak up and say: "That's not what the pirates are about, and that never was, and I do not accept this as our mission-statement."

I am making this statement now.

Anybody remember our new member who, day one, said: "Well, it's either I spend my money here or on drugs. haha jk" Remember that?

Do you know what 'jk' means? It means 'just kidding.' Do you know what 'just kidding' means?

It means: "I really mean this, I just can't say that, so I have to pretend it's a joke." Every joke, every lie, has a kernel of truth in it, and it is a fundamental and absolute truth of the person joking or lying, if you're willing to open your eyes to see, or open your heart to hear.

Our community is the only bright spot for some of our members. The only one. When we kick members, we are saying: "You don't belong here." Funny that, because, in some (many?) cases, that member doesn't belong anywhere; anywhere, that is, except this community, and we've just booted him.

Yes, along with the community's responsibility to each of its members, I realize the member has a responsibility to conform to the mores of the community, I just don't think the recent, and sudden, and directed, change in the community's vision reflects that of what was its heart, and what most of the members wanted. If we were a war-machine, we'd be gunning for the number one spot, and setting that expectation. I'm concerned we are inching our way toward that.

Do we want to be that kind of community?

I don't want to be that kind of community. What are your thoughts?

PWND

subtitle: "or, why Halo is the best video game in the world."

Not a subtweet to what's-his-face, μέλαινα χολή, who can't spell "Halo is the best video game in the world. Ever." in a tweet, so I'm here to help him to learn how to spell.

tl;dr: #PWND is this:

But not that many people know the origin of the word PWND [because they are so young they were still in their diapers last week; kids these days. Sheesh!], not even the contributors to Urban Dictionary [see: c.f.: 'kids these days'] so I will break it down for you fresh n00bs so you can learn you sumthin' gooder.

You're welcome. Don't say I never did anything for you.

So, Halo 1 was the best video game in the world.

I'll pause let that sink in.

That is, until Halo 3: ODST came out, so now Halo 3: ODST is the best video game in the world (see above if you have to let that sink in for you to get it, you pea-brains). Well, in Halo 1, the pistol was, shall we say it had some 'balancing-issues'?  You could three-shot anybody, anywhere, on any map, and, since it had 120 rounds, and since you played the game so well* [well, adv.: long, yeah, I have a life. Problems?], you knew exactly where your opponent was going to respawn, so you won the game without player two even getting a shot off.

Fair? Shuuur. In short: you just got PWND, n00b! Try harder next time, try-hard.

Etymology of 'PWND': from 'p-owned,' where 'p' stands for the Halo 1 pistol, also known as the 'global thermalnuclear weapon of massive and total destruction of the entire universe'-weapon.

All this is to say that my brother, Mike, and I would play Halo together. In fact, he (re-)introduced me to video games when he was going through the "Attack on the Control Room"-level (on normal... don't judge) (we all start somewhere) and trying to get over the bridge, but dying, over and over and over again, until finally, he made it to the end of the bridge and was running for the door when...

PWND!

Me: "Oh. You didn't see that invisible guy?"
Him, carefully putting down the controller: "I'm ... gonna go shopping. Wanna come?"
me: "Sure!"

Grocery shopping with Mike is always an adventure. This adventure involved a stock girl and a shaker of 'crazy'-... sorry! 'mixed-up'-salt, but that's a story for another time.

Well, so, Mike and I were playing co-op on Halo* [Mike and I playing co-op on Halo usually devolved into: "whomst'd can accidently betray-murder your team-mate the most." Mike! Do you remember hitting me with that overcharged plasma pistol just before 50,000 greebils overran me on the Captain Keyes-level on the Truth and Reconciliation? REMEMBER THAT?] at his place one night, and ... 7:30 am Tita Femme came downstairs, saw us still playing, and went back to bed, shaking her head.

Well, later that morning, at breakfast, Michael Jackson's "Ya Wanna Be Startin' Somthin'?"-song came on over the radio so, of course, I had to break it down when the scat-singing kicked in.

Just imagine me, dancing through the kitchen, belting out: "MAMA SEY, MAMA SA, MA-MA-KU-SA!" at the top of my lungs, and now you can see why Tita Femme grumbled: "That guy: is crazy."

And thus, you see a blog entry that kills two birds with one stone:

1. The meaning and etymology of the word PWND
2. Halo is the best video game ever, and anybody who disagrees is wrong and needs to hit the showers.

You're welcome.

Halo: ODST — Prepare to Drop

Hi, all.

I decided to replay through the ODST campaign, so I could reacquaint myself with the controller scheme (... no sprint? and, oh: that's not zoom, that's throw grenade. Oh, well, so much for my stealthy surprise attack).

And I was well-rewarded in that I found out what a sweet game ODST was and is, even if it was just an 'add-on' to Halo 3. It wasn't but ...

Eh.

Play the game. I'm playing it now and having a blast. Here's my blow-by-blow:

3h ago:

• ... I ... think ... I lost my game-save on #ODST. Which means I have to start the campaign over. #OHYEAH 

2h ago:

• I've forgotten how ... fun, and compelling and ... beautiful #ODST campaign is. *sigh* Prepare to Drop done.
• Me: NONONO! Hunter: RAWR! (lunges) Me: *smoosh* Oh, well. I guess today was a good day to die. #ODST Tayari plaza done.

1h ago:

• Okay, NOW I get why others don't like #ODST: it requires still, stealth and patience. None which our HaloNation fanbois have. Got it.
• Me, OTOH, I'm having a BLAST in #ODST wandering the Mombasa streets, killin' covies, ninja-style, 'cause that's how I rollz, ya!

23m ago:

• Uplift reserve #ODST: "LORD, I didn't train to be a pilot. Tell me I don't have any more flying today." *BOOM* goes a fighter near him. Dutch: "Is that a yes or a no, LORD?" *BOOM* goes his warthog. Dutch, ruefully: "Amen." Why can't other games' writing be as good as #ODST?

19m ago:

• After each chapter of #ODST, I take a break and do something else. Like now, I'm washing and putting away the dishes. #daddygamer
• #ODST And the pacing of the game is well-nigh perfect: 1 chapter on the Mombasa streets at night; 1 chapter, boots on the ground in combat.

Taking a bit longer break to write about the Scuf One controller and maybe about girl-gamers, but ... ooh! ODST Firefight? drools.

geophf, signing out.

HLZ Divisions

Halo 4 Divisions: Infinity, Forerunner, Legendary, Olympian

Division 1: Infinity (Blue)

Gen: HLZ Zero, graemesennett
LT: Smiley Inspries, Ls Nitro
Sgt: christiandiaz13, spartienmatt, ArBiToR159
Cpl: Raing NightMare, DoG Elegy, Arsenickosis
Pvt: iTR0LL Daily, ShaneTheCoon

Division 2: Forerunner (Black)

Gen: HERB1C1DAL
LT: fitzman69, Operator 626
Sgt: Irishsoxmax425, no common sense, IconicRespect
Cpl: BatmanPwnsAll,
Pvt:

Division 3: Legendary (White)

Gen: LORDDEATHOFDOOM
LT: LGND X GREED, Soraichi
Sgt: DR3WEX, Gamerfreak1028, COVEN4NT KILLER
Cpl: ndmman96, KittenofDoom666, Dynamic Nacho, Green CycoMyco
Pvt: fdch, Bomb Boy 770,

Division 4: Olympian (Red)

Gen: wolfrain19
LT: Eman424444,
Sgt: wolfrain17
Cpl: SSP14, BLACKeyedWARIOR
Pvt: xxxxderpfacexxx

If you're gamertag isn't posted up there in the divisions, message HLZ Zero.

Weekend events: Fri. Nov. 9th - Sun. Nov. 11th

Friday Nov. 9th: First HLZ meeting on Halo 4. 7PM EST.                                                                      

EVERYBODY MUST ATTEND!! (if you can't make the meeting, then message HLZ Zero)

7:30PM EST, Custom Game Night/ Matchmaking/ Spartan OPs/ 4 player co-op (Legendary)

Saturday Nov. 10th: Flood mode/Grifball Night 8PM EST

Sunday Nov. 11th: HLZ meeting (ONLY if you couldn't make it on Friday Nov. 9th) 4PM EST.

If anybody is intrested hosting there own game night or have any ideas to add to the schedule, message HLZ Zero or Geophf about it.

THE NEW RANKING SYSTEM:

Founder (FDR) - Geophf
General (Gen) - HLZ Zero, HERB1C1DAL, LORDDEATHOFDOOM, wolfrain19
Lieutenant (LT) - graemesennett, mccluretim96, fitzman69, Gamerfreak1028, Eman424444
Sergeant (Sgt) - christiandiaz13, COVEN4NT KILLER, DR3WEX, spartienmatt, ArBiToR159
Corporal (Cpl) - LGND X GREED, ndmman96, Dynamic Nacho, BatmanPwnsAll, Smiley Inspries
Private (Pvt) - Everyone else in HLZ (read information below for details)
Recruit (Rct) - someone who has just joined HLZ.

If your name isn't up there (you missed the meeting on Nov. 2nd), or you haven't notified HLZ Zero or Geophf about where you would like to start out (ONLY WHEN HALO 4 IS RELEASED!) Also if you don't see your name, your either a private or again need to contact HLZ Zero or Geophf. Don't worry, everybody's rank will change over time, so no need to worry about staying at Corporal or Sergeant forever. If anybody has any questions about the ranking system, the meeting on Nov. 9th or anything, contact HLZ Zero for information.

Last Game Nights on Reach and Halo3!

Hey, all,

It's been a long time since I've rocked and rolled, AND since I've played with the Halo Legendz! 

"Welcome back, geophf!"

Why, thank you, it's good to be back, ... now: let's play.

Next week: Friday, November 2, 2012, 7 pm EST, is the final game night of the Halo Legendz for Halo: Reach, because, well, next week, we MAY be playing something a little bit different, but it MAY BE MORE than a little bit Halo. Jus' sayin'

Next week: Saturday, November 3, 2012, 7 pm EST, is the final game night of the Halo Legendz for Halo 3.

Play on, and good games, my dear friends!

Schedule of Events

Fridays: Branches meetings 8 pm EST, Custom games, 8:30 pm EST
Satudays: Multiplayer Frenzy: 8 pm EST

Other events: Talk with your branch or clan leader and go for it!