The Art of Warfare Blogs: Division Blogs

StarCraft II DIvision's SA has risen to the top of the crop in many aspects.  He not only is the SA, but he also is one of the primary streamer members of TAW.

He has built quite a following on his Streaming efforts and worked his way up to Gunnery Sergeant.  We wanted an inside look at the infamous SC Division...Alpha was kind enough to talk with us about TAW life:

Let’s start by telling everyone a little about you, What might someone be surprised to know about you?

AlphaPhoenix - I am currently in school for Film Production and Media and also have a film company called Outcast United Productions. Weve made many commercials and 3 feature films. Check us out!  http://ocuproductions.com/ 

Do you have any special hobbies or activities outside of online gaming/TAW?

AlphaPhoenix - I'm a Florida guy, so I love the beach, film, music, baseball (go Rays!) and overall just living life to the fullest! Statcraft isn't a game where gaming clans are seen as an integral part of the community. 

What made you decide to join up with TAW in a game where the majority of players are without a clan? 

AlphaPhoenix - Starcraft in my opinion isnt just a game. The way I see it, it's an opportunity for anyone to make new friends, improve gaming skills, have social online interactions and relations, and overrall just straight up kicking butt. I joined TAW because I saw an these opportunities. I also feel that I have a key role in the rising E-sport industry as a dedicated member, caster, and coach for anyone looking to improve and it makes me feel successful to help. You have been with TAW for a bit now, changing squads in that period. 

What are some of the differences you have seen that separate the different units in SC?

AlphaPhoenix - I'm always a fan of change. Sometimes things dont go the way you want to. When I started over a year ago I was only a recruit/private. I really didnt know anybody and I felt a little nervous to be honest. The members of my division however greeted me everytime I signed in and always wanted to play games. I started to feel more comfortable with the community and I eventually applied for higher ranking positions. 1 year later (or soon to be) I sign in as the Server Administrator and Starcraft II Ambassador for TAW and I am very proud to have friends online that  I've never even met before. The squad changing was always meant for the better to be simple.   

Where you a StarCraft player from the old days or did you start with StarCraft 2?

AlphaPhoenix - I started playing the 1st Starcraft when I was about 8 years old when the first game was released in 1998. I was never good at the original games anf mostly played campaign or custom games but I would always have a small group to play with. When the years flew by and the beta for Starcraft 2 was released I quickly rushed home from school to install the game. I have never been so interested in a game before and I still play it till this day. My skills have definately improved in Starcraft 2. I stand as a high diamond terran player for the NA server. I also offer coaching and assistance to low league players. 

Are there any other games that you occupy your time with outside of StarCraft 2?

AlphaPhoenix - Im not the typical gamer. I buy a game and I stick with it till I lose interest and that takes a while. I have HUGE obsessions with certain video games. Halo has been my overral favourite game off all time. Not to play though ^^ I am a die hard fan of the music and the books. Call of Duty and Gears of War are also my other favorite games to play on the side. 

What has been the number one thing about the SC2 division that has kept you coming back to play with TAW?

AlphaPhoenix - The community! Hands down. I really enjoy to play with my TAW friends. I also have a passion for helping others, so I coach and cast whenever I can. 

Every member believes his or her division is top dog in TAW, what do you feel sets SC2 apart from the rest of the clan's divisions?

AlphaPhoenix - The fact that Starcraft 2 is a strategy game and takes alot of time to get to high levels requires dedication. Ive seen some of the most commited members in my division move from low leagues to the top leagues and I feel that alot of other divisions cant say that. My opinion is that my division could use more attetion however. Starcraft 2 is one of the most popular and competetive games out there right now and the reason as to why the E-sport industry is growing.

 You Stream a lot and the quality is very good.  How do you see streaming become a part of the total TAW Package?

AlphaPhoenix - Streaming and casting is most certainly one of the best marketing strategies we have in our division. As a high rank player I can usually stream and have about 5 to 6 viewers watching a day. As I interact with them I always ask if they have in interest in improving or joining a clan. I also feel like I am inflencing people in TAW to stream their games and getting the word out.

When it comes to StarCraft 2, the man in charge is none other than Colonel Vulkor. A fast rising original member of the SC2 division, it took just over two years for him to rise to the position of Division Commander. As the heart of the StarCraft Division, Vulkor has a hand in every event, every new mod, and every tournament that passes through TAWs most successful RTS division. QuinoaAOC of the newsletter team had a chance to throw a few questions Vulkor's way and here is what the SC2 DC had to say. 

Let’s start by telling everyone a little about you,

 I'm a former geologist that career-shifted into writing, and presently work as a video game journalist. I've been a PC gaming loyalist since the late '90s, and a Blizzard fan since WarCraft 2.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

 It may be surprising to know that, due to a bad experience twelve years ago, I thought clans were just groups of elitist jerks and wanted nothing to do with them. In 2008, I happened to read a forum post advertisement that contained values I could get behind, and decided to take a chance on this clan called The Art of Warfare... The rest is history.

 Do you have any special hobbies or activities outside of online gaming/TAW?

 I've been a tabletop gamer for over a decade with a few articles published in RPG magazines, and I live-stream my weekly D&D sessions.

 You have been with TAW for nearly four years, that's a long time to build memories. What are some of the best times you have had in SC?

Some of the best times I've had in SC have just been playing with a group of TAW folks in a relaxed, social environment.

With a DC tag and 11 medals, you have certainly made your presence known in TAW, what has been your proudest accomplishment in TAW?

As a Squad Leader, it was leading my team through an organized strategy and achieving victory on the battlefield. As a Battalion Officer, it was creating events that engaged and entertained our members. As a Division Commander, it's seeing my officers take initiative with great ideas.

What was the most memorable accomplishment as a division in your tenure as an officer of SC?

The development and marketing of our Ghosts of Tarsonis campaign was a massive undertaking born from months of collaboration. It entailed the creation of a website, promotional video and images, a custom narrative and lore, an interactive map, and the entire rule set for a custom meta-game. I am proud of what our team accomplished.

Each division has its own unique division wide competitions and games, what is something that SC does to mix things up?

Our Ghosts of Tarsonis campaign saw individual StarCraft matches influence an overarching game board that pitted two teams against each other in a custom-made game similar to Risk.

 SC is one of the games most well known for its "eSports" presence, what has SC done to capture this kind of atmosphere for its players?

The eSports scene is huge, and we're looking to capture that enormous audience by hosting viewing events in which fans can come together on TS and watch tournaments, not unlike a Super Bowl party -- just virtual.

 With the Heart of the Swarm coming out, what do you have planned to "celebrate" the release in TAW?

 Evidence suggests HotS may not release in 2012, so while we haven't yet planned out any specific celebratory events for its release, we expect an influx of new applicants and plan to kick recruiting efforts into overdrive.

What are the contributing factors to the longevity of the StarCraft series and its time in TAW?

Blizzard has a history of developing games built to the highest standards and that continue to engage communities for years. As long as any game's community is thriving, TAW can maintain an active presence if it understands the needs of that community.

How did the demise of the WoW division in TAW impact your division?

We lost the opportunity to collaborate on cross-promotional projects, as well as BlizzCon meetups and events that could have really gotten TAW's name out there at a huge venue.

 What do you see in the future for SC?

With two expansion packs on the horizon, as well as a pedigree of longevity, I see StarCraft 2 remaining a popular game for years to come, and each expansion pack will see a resurgence of new members in the division.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for your division or for SC as a whole?

StarCraft is primarily a 1v1 game, and through a combination of design philosophy and community mindset, clans are viewed as unimportant to the majority of players. Our biggest challenge has been shattering that belief and communicating to the community the value that a clan like TAW can add to a player's experience.

What do you feel other divisions could learn from SC?

TAW provides an infrastructure that allows us to organize events beyond the scope of most clans. In order to maximize the effectiveness of our recruiting potential, we need to find a need in a given game's community and fill that need while playing to TAW's strengths as an organization.

If you could change just one thing about TAW as a whole, what would it be and why?

I'd love to see our forums become social hubs for more than just TAW members, offering practical and friendly discussion of the various games TAW plays to the greater gaming community. A thriving forum community that attracts non-members can translate into a huge platform for bringing in new applicants.

Any parting comments or things you would like to add about SC for other TAW members?

 Apart from being the fastest-selling strategy game of all time, StarCraft 2 has an active and easily accessible modding scene that provides an endless supply of new games to play, many of which are completely different from "vanilla" StarCraft 2. League of Legends, for instance, has its roots in a WarCraft 3 mod. Regardless of your skill or tastes, SC2's modding scene will have something you'll love, be it a Tower Defense game, an RPG, or a party game.

The SC2 division embarked on the Risk-esque Ghosts of Tarsonis campaign and after nine weeks of cutthroat skirmishes across the Koprulu Sector, the game has come to an end with a decided victor: the Confederacy and its flagship squad, Penguin Apocalypse. The Sons of Korhal and their flagship squad Typheous put up a noble fight, gaining a tremendous lead in this war early on, but Penguin Apocalypse adapted to Typheous' guerrilla tactics, built up momentum and became an unstoppable juggernaut that conquered planet after planet.In the final battle for the home worlds, Typheous landed some early blows, taking out Confederate defenses in a battle of attrition, but Penguin Apocalypse lived up to its namesake and came in with one massive, apocalyptic strike that conquered the enemy home world and won the war in one vicious Blitzkrieg.

Congratulations to the Penguin Apocalypse for their victory as a team, and their personal achievements along the way as they rose above their fellow TAW brethren to conquer all...this time.  

TAW StarCraft 2's vision is being redefined. In the past we've tried various methods of training and events. Some have paid off, while others have not paid off so well. Today marks a new day in the vision of TAW SC2. TAW StarCraft 2 is going to be the premiere gaming community that is Player Centric and Service Oriented. What this means is that TAW aims to provide a service to players that helps you find what you're looking for in StarCraft 2.

For example, if you want to find practice partners to really boost your game, we want to pair you up with other like-minded members in TAW. Our new system will allow us to profile our members so that we can give you more information about what member interests are here in TAW. This allows you, as a player, to connect with other people in the community. You're no longer just a character code and a number in Blizzards faceless match making rating system!

All of this means that we are changing the way things are done on our practice nights for the better! We want to custom tailor a unique experience for each any every member that comes to us. Practices will offer a variety of activities and not just 1v1 obs, or hardcore coaching. You'll find new channels on Teamspeak dedicated to the activities. The new channels are aptly named, such as "Coaching and Training", "1v1 Obs", "Custom games". On a typical night we'll start with announcements, then everyone will break down into their respective channels for the activities they would like to participate in for that night.

Utilizing member profile information, we can advise you of TAW members with similar interests and suggest things like practice partners or coaches. The profiles will also help us to tailor your experience in TAW based on your interests. What all of this means is simply this: If you want to focus on 1v1s, we want to provide a venue for you to do that. If you want to play team games or custom games, we want you to meet others who want to play those games as well. Our practices will no longer be constrained, so if you really don't feel like playing in 1v1 obs, you don't have to!

For those of you who are here for our Friday night events such as the Ghosts of Tarsonis campaign, have no fear! We are not changing Friday nights, these unique events that we offer on Fridays are part of our new vision! We will continue to provide unique and engaging events for the community as a whole on Friday nights.

And that's the meat of it, we are simply going to have multiple activities on Tuesday nights and Sunday nights to keep each of our members engaged in the community.

Thanks everyone!

Cpt. Paveway
Commanding Officer
TAW Starcraft Division