The enlisted members of TAW may hold the lowest rank, but they are by far the most important part of TAW. Without our players, not only would we have no officers, we wouldn't have a community at all. From the ranks of Company of Heroes, Rydon was chosen to represent all the players who show up and dedicate their time to sit back and play and enjoy what TAW has to offer.
Tell us first why it is that you decided to join TAW. Why pick TAW over the other clans available and why stick around?
I joined TAW because Company Of Heroes is a team based strategy game. I felt like they brought the most team work into playing compared to other clans I have been with.
What sets TAW apart from other gaming communities you have encountered?
That no matter what time I get on to play I will always have someone to play with. Plus, everyone gets along and plays for fun. Its not to serious, but can get serious if it is needed.
You have been in TAW just a couple of months. What are some of your still fresh first impressions of our community?
That everyone gets along with everyone. I came in on day one and started playing with the guys. Ever since then I have been to match nights and helping the COH community.
As you know, TAW supports divisions in a lot of different games and several different kinds of games. Do any of the other games TAW supports fall under the umbrella of games you spend your time with?
Yes, But I'm trying to help the COH division since they have lost a lot of players recently. Battlefield, StarCraft and World of Tanks are a few but COH is my favorite game of all time.
What about games that TAW doesn't play, what other games to you play?
Command and Conquer is my all time favorite strategy game of all time. I played that for many years, then got hooked on COH because of the fallout of Command and Conquer. Now that Command and Conquer is coming in the spring of 2013 I would love to help out or maybe work on getting a division going for that game.
You haven't been in TAW long enough to really make your mark as a player, what in-game roll do you see yourself filling in Company of Heroes?
Just helping out and recruiting for the COH division.
What do you feel that CoH has to offer other members of TAW, what would you say about the game makes it a good game for any member to give a shot?
That everyone really gets along and has tons of fun. Plus, we work on strategy and are more than happy to train new guys coming into the game.
The officers of TAW's Company of Heroes division (CH) have had a bit of a rough go of late but one guy who has put forth his best foot to help keep things moving is PattonsFinest. The command staff in CH barely hesitated to name this platform gaming gym rate when asked which officer best represents what CH is about and From the Battlefield was there to get the scoop soon after.
The man who runs things down in CH is Bradx, a programmer who rocketed through the TAW ranks to take the reins of the troubled Company of Heroes. Bradx stepped up to save the division from collapse after a large group of officers left and now he sits down with QuinoaAOC to share a little about himself and his plans for CH in the near future.
What is something about yourself that you feel is a defining trait in how others see you as a person?
- My overall attitude. I usually have a good attitude unless their is some unnecessary drama going around. I have a good sense of humor when the time is right, but I am serious when it is needed. Plus, I don't treat the guys below me (in rank) as inferior which I feel is a major part of the TAW community.
Outside of gaming with TAW, what other hobbies do you have?
- Programming, intramural sports (basketball, frisbee, volleyball). Mainly programming though because that is my job. I am actually working on iOS and android apps for a new social networking site.
Other than Company of Heroes, what games occupy your playing time?
- Since school has taken over, I don't do much gaming anymore. I used to play a lot of Minecraft, but now its mostly FIFA 13 on Xbox 360.
On to TAW, what made you join TAW in the first place? Why TAW over the other clans available and why stick around with TAW?
- Well, I really wanted to join a CH clan because I loved the game and I wanted to learn a bit more about it. Honestly, the other clans were elitist so I didn't have a chance at getting into them because my skills were so bad. The reason I stay is because I love it here. There are so many helpful people around always looking to give advice, or answers questions. I also love playing with people from the clan rather than public games.
You quickly moved up, back down, then up the ranks again eventually sliding into DDayCommando's former position as the DC. Prior to that you briefly served as DO, joined the Minecraft Vanguard Team, then returned to take over CH. That's a lot of moving and shaking in just seven months. What made you leave CH then return?
- At the time, I left because MC was really what I liked to play. I was on it all the time and when I heard that there was going to be a division I jumped on the planning team. I also felt that the guys that were running it were doing fine without me. I was wrong though. Those guys actually left a week later and joined another clan. I returned because all of the officers left, and I knew that they would need help getting 2nd battalion back on their feet.
You have only run the CH division for a short period of time, what plans do you have for the division moving forward?
- Our main plan for the CH division is to hold on. CH is an old game with an old player base. There aren't many new people on so we have a hard time recruiting, but we do get about 1 to 2 new recruits a week. We are really waiting for CH2 which should release in early-2013, and once the game releases we are going to jump on recruiting and see if we can get a good number of recruits in.
What do you plan on changing about CH to make it a better place for Company of Heroes players to enjoy their game?
- I really need to work on the overall view of CH coming from our current members. During the day there aren't many players around, so if a guy logs in and he's the only one on, he will leave. There also isn't a lot of competition. Most of the guys we have now are getting close to the pro-marker or are already there, so I am trying to coordinate friendly clan matches to see if I can spur some competition.
On all levels, what do you feel makes CH stand out the most among the various divisions of TAW?
- The relationships. No matter the rank, we all have great relationships with each other and create a sense of family in the channels.
Any parting words for the rest of TAW or your CH brethren?
- Yes. I would like to thank all of the guys that stuck around while everyone else left especially the ones that did some work for me and contributed to the division. I also want to thank all of the guys in CC and Army for the good advice and help they have given me. TAW is the best clan on the planet!
Remember back in the good old days when games were hard? Not just hard but brutally hard? As in no-save-file and limited life kinda hard? Well if you miss those days, if you miss the CHALLENGE, have I got a game for you: Dwarf Fortress. This game is a retro-style game that is hardly comparable to anything else I even know of. You don't play as anyone, per sey, but you command hordes of dwarves to...well...there aren't really any real goals. It's one of those games you play for the journey, not the destination, if you will. And in case you're wondering, the destination is always loss.The game is, in terms of controls, quite simple. It's a Rogue-Like game in the sense that the game screen is filled with dozens of different letters or symbols representing different things. Capitol D's may be dragons, g's may be goblins, a | is a log or a tree. Some people are put off by this sort of thing, so there have been "mods" made to make it more literal in appearance. You move a cursor around using arrow keys, telling this dwarf to dig here, telling that one to gather wood, etc. and, while initially intimidating, it's very easy to grasp the mechanics of the game after just a short while. Of course, it is entirely possible that your dwarves can starve before you figure out the controls... Or a band of raging goblins slaughters your group of explorers before you can even dig a hole. But it's about the journey, remember that.If you're playing the game like a sane individual, you are trying to stave off hunger, thirst, death, and even insanity for as long as possible. Build rooms for dwarves, make them feel like they live some where nice, have a consistent source of fresh food and water, mine precious materials, etc. However, if you're just a bit less-than-sane, you may, for instance, try to create an artificial lake by flooding the curving valley of the randomly generated terrain. My computer ended up having to handle so much water-physics, the game slowed so much, it seemed as though I was playing in real time (an in-game day felt like it took 24 hours). And that's just one of the great stories I have to share about this crazy, random, impossibly deep, and open-ended game. It may not be your thing, but this game, Dwarf Fortress, is definitely worth looking at. Just be sure to share your hilarious stories of loss and "defeat", because losing is fun!
Thought I would pass on the news that The Art of Warfare has hit an all time high membership and a new mark of 1700 members.
Thanks to are dedicated members for recruiting and all the hard work they put into this community. It won't be long until we hit 2000!
GEN_SoonerOKC [CC ACL]
Greetings my TAW Brother and Sisters. Today is as grand day for us in PlanetSide 2, we are transitioning from a Horizon team into a full Spin-up unit in Vanguard. What this means is if you have access to the beta, you can now transfer to the Planetside 2 team in Vanguard.Our mandatory times for each battalion:NA 21:00 EST Sunday & ThursdayEU 20:00 GMT Sunday & TuesdayOC 18:00 GMT+9 Sunday. Wendsday & Friday Optional sNow, if you do not have a beta key, don't worry, there are ways for you to start playing. All you have to do is have an active SOE account and to email me at GundamMKii [at] taw.net your account name and I will work my magic to get you access into the beta.If you would like to learn more about Planetside 2, please stop on by and have a chat with me, or any PS member. Interested in transferring? What you need to do is let your COC know you are interested.Alright everyone, see you all on the battlefieldGundamMKII
We would like to remind everyone that Lucky will be hosting another presentation on Sunday October 14th, in the TAW University teamspeak channel.
This University will offer some practical ways to help you choose and develop leaders within TAW. Everyone is invited and if you hold or are new to the Division or Battalion Staff I would highly recommend it.
Like the previous University, it will be a 30-minute presentation that will be followed by Q&A for those who are curious or have questions.
WHO: Lucky
When: Sunday, October 14 at 1500 Eastern / 1900 UTC.
Where: TAW University teamspeak channel
View the Event Here: https://taw.net/event/5353.aspx to see what time it starts in your timezone.
With the removal of XFire, TAW has decided to make Steam our backup communications platform. If you do not have steam or are not apart of TAW's Official Steam Group, we recommend that you Join Today!
If you're already a member of the Group, help us increase the number of members by inviting your TAW friends who use steam.
Steam is also a great platform to find out what your friends in TAW are playing.
They also offer nice discounts on the games that we play. TAW Media will be posting announcements and keeping you updated on TAW-Wide events through Steam in the future.
If for some reason Teamspeak were to go down for a long period of time, you should use Steam to communicate with your Chain-Of-Command or through email.
It is now required for anyone who holds a position within TAW to have a Security Awareness Badge. This means that if you are DI (Drill Instructor) or Higher you must obtain the badge. Regular members are not required, but are encouraged if you wish to hold a position in the near future.
TAW Policy (4.3 Security Awareness)
Information about the badge test and study material can be found here:
https://taw.net/forums/t/1690.aspx
After completing the self training in the link above, take the test here:
http://taw.net/quiz/1.aspx
You must get 70 percent or higher to pass.
Once you pass the test, email a screenshot of the results to your CoC
Your CoC will reward you the badge.
If you do not pass, you can take the test again after waiting 1 week.
Any feedback, email Bones or your CoC.
It is worth noting that as of September 30th, 2012. TAW has added a 5th Corps to its Army Branch.
Doc has become the first Corps Commander of the newly formed 5th Corps, followed by TexasHillbilly as Lt. Commander. Congats!
Also SuperTreky is the 3rd Corps Commander, Ekis enters CC as the new 3rd Corps Lt. Commander and LargeFormat is the 2nd Corps Lt. Commander.
No changes were made to 1st Corps.
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GRFS (Future Solider) and DOTA 2 has successfully graduated from Vanguard. A Big HOOOORAH! to Kingcheese, Wardy and the Division staff of GRFS/DOTA.
GRFS launched with 42 members, while DOTA 2 launched with a total of 120 members <----WOW!
GRFS moves to 1st Corps, and DOTA 2 becomes the first division out of Vanguard into 5th Corps. SWTOR & FarCry have been moved to 5th Corps to even out the games between the corps.
Planning is underway on TAW.net 3.0, volunteers are welcomed with ideas for improving areas of the site. Those with coding and graphical talent should ask their Chain-Of-Command for more information.
Also, the Lobby description has been updated to try and make life easier for applicants. Clicking on links (thanks to Bamsen) will connect a user to TS in a new tab with the unit designation that they are applying to - this should allow for easier identification.