The Ladies of TAW
By 1LT_Agrona [FC 4CO], MGS_Laracroft [FC 1HDI]
If someone would’ve asked me to join a Gaming Clan last year, I probably would’ve just laughed in their face. I don’t need to be part of a clan to enjoy playing games.
I’ve been playing games since the original DOOM days, but I’ve never played online. MP games were just not my thing … until Far Cry came along. I discovered this superb FPS game in December 2006. It was a Christmas present from me – to me.
After I finished the single player campaign, I wanted more. This can’t be the end of it? I thought and stared at the demo loop. I want more adventure, more jungle … more blood. Oh… sorry, got carried away there for a sec.
So, I do what I always do, I went to the official Far Cry forums. There I discovered a lot of helpful hints and tips concerning the online play (so I wouldn’t make a complete fool out of myself when joining my first game. Yes, I do read instruction manuals.) OK, so I was all set and off I go – directly into an FFA game. I got slaughtered and felt like Dorothy in Oz, “Uh, people come and go so quickly here.” I didn’t let my first failure discourage my love for the game (yes, yes, I know – how cliché). Even so I died more deaths than I will ever be able to count, I was hooked and wanted more. I noticed a lot of players with the same tag and began to wonder what it was all about. Again, I turned to my trusty official forums. Here I found a clan thread. GC, a UK based clan, was recruiting and I replied to their post, curious to find out more. One of the FC forum regulars however, suggested I should check out Synergy or TAW, since both are based in the US.
The first time I checked out the TAW website, I was both very impressed and completely intimidated. I had to double check the web address, because I thought for a moment my browser mis-directed me to the US Army site. I checked out every area on the site and with each click, my respect for this clan grew. The integrity and commitment of the TAW members were vividly displayed in various forum posts. It felt like a highly organized and tight knit community. I filled out the application about 4 or 5 times, at different occasions, before I had enough courage to submit it. I’m not a pro-FPS player, I’m not a military person, I’m a creative, fantasy oriented writer, who loves to play with Sword and Magick. How will I ever fit in? My heart pounded as I hit the submit button. You are crazy, one of my voices said (yes, I hear multiple ones, in different languages even). You are a great team player, another said. Well, thank goodness none of the decision makers really knew what they got themselves into, when they approved my application. I immediately told everyone at work and my husband that I’ve joined the military. Now real voices told me that I’m crazy.
Boot camp came and went without any major incidents and suddenly, I was a full-fledged member of TAW. This was 5 months ago and already I can’t imagine playing Far Cry without my team mates. The whole community is amazing and I’ve made friends from all across the world. We all have things in common and you never know who you will meet next. TAW is made up of funny, fascinating, wonderful people. I’ve met so many creative people here that share the same interest in writing as I do. Just because we love to shoot each other, doesn’t mean that we can’t dream up magical adventures.
The forums are a great place to get to know the members of the other divisions. After a while, you begin to recognize a name and you are drawn to the boards, just to see what your online buddy is up to right now. At first I was hesitant to “cross enemy territory”. I wasn’t sure if there were rules, boundaries that I wasn’t allowed to overstep. However, I grew bolder as time went by. The person, who is able to shut me up, has not been born yet (well ok, my Dad could do that, but I was younger then and easily intimidated. And I’m not saying here that my Dad is an intimating man, on the contrary … but I digress).
In short, TAW is a great place to be and I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to be a part of this excellent community. We are constantly growing, changing, evolving and improving in all areas. It is an exiting time and I know I will be here for as long as you all will have me … no wait, let me re-phrase that: for as long as I please.
By Dina Robinson
aka 1LT_AGRONA [FC 4CO]
First Day.
In the past i enjoyed playstation games and 1 or 2 PC game ( hands up, who remembers 'Little Big Adventure' lol) I remember even then, the addiction of getting to the next level and the temper tantrums that followed if you failed and had to go back TWO whole stages. Nothing has changed except the game ha ha.
It is hard to believe that two years ago I entered a world that I had absolutely no clue about. It was through a friend I was introduce to the art of warfare. I carefully put together my application and was eager to be approved as i heard it was one of the top clans to be in. When i got my reply i was thrilled but also nervous because i had no idea what to expect. I'd bought the game Farcry but never played the singleplayer lol. I was straight in at the deep end on multiplayer. The Monkeybay map was all I played mostly and tried to be a sniper omg I was such a noob, but it was mega fun and it just made me want to keep on trying.
When i got my bootcamp invite i remember being in such a panic. The DI was Garnett who sounded about 30 & i couldn't hear him so good but after finally passing bootcamp the REAL scary bit was going into the main TAW ts and meeting everyone.
Now I have become the HDi I reflect my own bootcamp experience and understand how much info there was to take in, i decided to put i 'package' together for new PFc's which contains all the reminders they need and how & where to get maps ( courtesy of some others who helped me with putting it all together)
So, the very first time i checked into channel, heart racing... I announced my name LaraCroft 'checking in'... to be met with a huge cheer and wolf whistles lol ( ha ha you can forgive the guys, they had never seen a female in FC ts before ! as i was about to find out. It was all very nerve racking stuff. Everyone was friendly and helpful. One of the top officers was constantly dragging me into a channel to ask if everything was ok and no one was giving me any hassle! i said well i wouldn't be very 'Lara Croft' if i let them would i?!
After getting to know some of the members and learning how it all worked I was drafted into a squad. If i knew then what I know now, i would have given them a medal myself !!. They deserved it. They had to put up with me not being able to shoot anything but (myself !) plus my frustrating inability to use my compass. I think i spent most of my time in that 1st squad trying to find the flag! BIG LOL It became a common comment... where is Lara? The worst time that happened I had joined the game and listening eagerly to my squad leader who was instructing us all to go the Freighter.
'Lara where are you?'
'Erm i don't know where are you guys?'
'We are on the freighter... you know what that is don't you Lara?'
'Yes. it's a ship isn't it'
'Yes'
'But i don't see any ship?'
'It's that huge brown thing in the middle of the map'
'Hmmm but all i can see is grass and water'
( at this point i am getting in game messages What is Lara doing here?)
'Erm what server are you guys on?'
'We are on server 2'
'Er oops, i think i know whay i can't see the ship... I am on server 1...'
You can imagine how beetroot red my face was and as i sat there feeling like a total LEMON they must have been laughing for a full 5 minutes in fact i think they lost the match because they all got the giggles Big Style after that! I apologised profusely and blamed it on being blonde... and so... it was then, that the Lara 'Blonde Moment' was born.The great thing was no one was angry about it - the very opposite. Many more blonde moments were to follow of course! In fact i think i will dedicate a whole blog to just that!
MGS_Laracroft [FC 1HDI]
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Why did I join TAW? Interesting question. I was sure that I would NEVER be interested in online gaming. I used to call my husband Sgt. Weenie. And he told me, "Hey! That's General Weenie to you!" (For those who don't know, my husband is BGN_JrSunshine.) So one day, in an effort to spend more time with my husband I started playing WOW. And darn it if it didn't cater to the things that I enjoy the most... affirmation and getting gifts! I mean... come on... everytime you kill something you get presents!! Then there's the leveling up! That big flash of light and everyone telling you "congrats!" I love it!
Just a few days after that initial exposure (it's like a drug dealer... "The first one's free!" They know you'll come back.), JR went out and got me my very own headset and I joined TAW! Just another level to add to my geek-o-meter! Bootcamp was cool. Learning the "teamspeak" was a challenge. Thanks to everyone for being patient with me and my noobish questions!
I have enjoyed the friendship and generosity of my fellow TAW members. So many of them have taken me through instances that were below them and a few that were WAY TOO high for me. Thank goodness for those healers!! They have been generous not only with their time but with stuff! (I like presents!)
I think most of all I have a lot of fun! There's nothing better than logging into teamspeak and hearing "REMY!!!" Wait... there is one thing better... listening to everyone get on JR's case about getting me better computer stuff. Hehehehehe!
I guess to make a long story short (too late) I love being a Lady of TAW!
by LCP_RemyLeBeau [WW]
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I am 42 years old and I started gaming when Space Invaders came out. I didn’t start get serious about gaming until about 1981 or 82. My family couldn’t afford a console so all of my allowance and any money from odd jobs when into feeding quarters at the local arcade. I can remember how excited I was when they had $5.00 midnight madness. All the games you could play from 10:00pm till 4:00 am. I was in heaven, the old wire frame games like Tank, Red baron and Star Wars, Pacman, Centipede and Donkey Kong. I think the game that used to get me the maddest and I just had to beat was Gorf, I was kind of a Galaga rip-off but, It would call you names and say what a pathetic player you were. It was one of the first games with a voice. Man, I hated that game till I beat it. Of course when I look back it’s like Stephen Hawking talking trash..
Well when I got out on my own, I could afford a basic 8 bit Nintendo so I got that and started picking up cartridges. But the Arcades still out there started getting games like Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair. I wanted to play those games. Not Mario. The last console I bought was a 3DO, one of the first consoles with games on a CD. 3DO had Space Ace, Dragon’s Lair and “Graphics”!!
Alas, 3DO died a terrible death because of PS1. But there was the great game called “Wing Commander III” that my friend played on PC, and I had it for the 3DO and loved it. This was about 1995 and a few people were starting to build FPS games for PC. Games like Quake and Doom were just out and everyone was playing them. It seemed to be a good time to spend my money on a PC and stop paying money for consoles.
So I had a friend help me put together my first “Frankenstein” PC. All cutting edge parts, “Top of Line” in every way. 5GB Hard drive, 32 Bit Stealth “Voodoo” Video card, 128 Ram and a 233 Mega hertz Intel CPU, not sure what all it cost me but around $1500.00 USD in 1995. So I finally got into PC gaming.
Well I didn’t get the whole Network/Internet game idea for awhile I was in the US Army and they did there best to keep me busy. I had bought a new PC and updated it. While I was looking for parts there was this game called “Unreal Tournament Game of the Year” Well I took it home and played it. WOW!! I love this game. What’s this LAN configuration? You mean I can play against others on a PC I just have to setup a network. At the time I was living in Germany and every call in Germany was a long-distance call. This was before ISDN, DSL Broadband connections. But I could set up a LAN and play against my niece (Babylon) and friends.
I was left the Army in 2003. I came back home to Idaho and I kept running my LAN. I’d got a broadband and I went to play on a lot of servers, but it seemed that everywhere I went people just wanted to kill me. LOL I was looking for a team. I wanted to get better, but it’s difficult to get better when it’s Spawn Die, Spawn Die, Spawn Die, all the time. If that wasn’t enough then many people get on and call you “noob”. I know I’m a noob. I want to get better, but I couldn’t seem to get any help.
So I would get mad and frustrated and try to play the game on my own and get better. I would Google Clans for UT once and awhile. I’d check them out and usually walk away. Until one day I found TAW. I applied, in less than a day I got a response. I told them I “sucked” but I wanted to get better. When “everyone” says’s your nothing but a noob, TAW saw potential. I guess the rest is history as they say.
I think he greatest thing I have received from TAW is they will take anyone in. I am 100% disabled. But TAW gives me an outlet. I can be the best Division Officer I can be. I know that playing UT3 has helped me a lot kind of a fine motor skill physical therapy. The rules are strict, but they apply to everyone. TAW also gave me a chance to show the good stuff that I do and help me with the things I don’t do so well. You can work up the ranks. Learn, teach and mentor. That’s why I’m a “Lady of TAW”.
by MAJ_HudsonC [UT DO]