Battle clans: A system Torn
In this autobiography, LinkofChaos0911, a member of the Gaia Online Clans of Battle system from Day 2 of the forums creation recounts his tale. From humble beginnings undertaking an unparalleled journey, leading clans, running investigations, fighting in forum wars, to his recent creation of the clan the Knights Templar. This autobiography is a true and accurate description of both the failures and greatest achievements of the 2007-2008 Gaia MMO (zOMG!) Clans of Battle Subforum.
Battle Clans: A System Torn
LinkofChaos0911
I. Foreword
Dear Gaians or Readers of this account,
I am LinkofChaos0911. Thank you for taking the time to read my account of the Battle System subforum. Many times I think a game is taken for granted when it comes out, people who created the game's graphics and game play are usually considered the creators of the game, and we often put them on the highest pedestal when it comes who did the greatest works for the game. Usually forums are fan-made and are rather insignificant to the overall outcome of a game, especially a Mass Multiplayer Online Game such as the zOMG! Gaia Online MMO. Don't get me wrong, the creators- Qixter and others- are very important; they did create a Gaia Online MMO which the clans will begin to play very soon, however those who form the real mindset behind the game are not the creators but the players themselves.
A game I often use in analogy to this is Monster Hunter. Monster Hunter, for PS2, PSP, and soon to be Nintendo Wii, has a small American fan base. The game itself is exceptional and is easily equal to an Exteel CPU MMO or Flyff MMO. However, due to its small fan base and more PC-like features, the game is overlooked by most and only a handful actually plays the game on a regular basis. I think the same concept applies. Without a popular rating, a history, and most of all a strong fan-base an MMO is largely overlooked.
The Clans of Battle Subforum in the Gaia MMO forum has both history and a popular rating among beta testers. Unfortunately, that history is yet to be uncovered for us. The names of great generals and clan leaders from long ago, shall be uncovered. The trials and tribulations of great clans such as Knight, GOOD, The Holy Order, Ninpou, The Illuminated Society, The DeAngelo Family, The Corelli Family, The Gaia Mafia Clan, The Knights Templar, Novus Ordo, etc., the stories, investigations, and history of the past year will be revealed. What follows is the record of the history of the Battle System MMO.
Sincerely,
LinkofChaos0911
II. Lunar Emperor Clan
Time Index: July 3rd, 2007 – August 25th, 2007
I first joined the Lunar Emperor Clan on July 4, 2007. Coming out of a clan on the PS2 game Star Wars Battlefront 2, I was really looking for a clan that could help me become a better strategist, which back then was my primary focus. The Lunar Emperor Clan had formed the day that the Clans of Battle subforum came out, not the day the main forum was created. Don't get me wrong, I did view the main forum on the day it was created, however unlike mcan, the leader of Knight, I did not care to join a clan or to post until the next day when the Clans of Battle subforum was created.
The Lunar Emperor Clan, led by Emperor Dart, was part of one of the first landmark events within the clans of battle subforum. One of our most noted efforts as a clan was our 2 main alliances, the Darkness Warrior Clan and the ZabreClan. ZabreClan, was led by my sister KendansaAdnilam. When I joined I immediately began working on my ranking. Within two weeks of being in the clan I was already a Captain, (2nd highest rank) and, combined with LightMousy, a Vice Captain, we ranked up and taught each other strategies. However, on July 26th at approximately 11:58 AM ET, a Gaian known as The Ghost Lord (TGL) began what would become a long series of wars, and distresses to a forum still unused to it.
II. TGL
Time Index: July 26th 11:58 PM ET – July 27th Noon ET
On July 26th at approximately 11:58 AM ET, The Ghost Lord began declaring war on every clan on Gaia larger than a few members. The message simply said: "Hello, call me Giovanni. I am a representative of The Gaian Mafia Clan. This is a formal declaration of war. We have no reason, just that we hate you. Please respond as soon as possible on our clan's site." We can look back at this message today and laugh, knowing that it makes no sense for a reasonable clan to do this. However, at the time, the forum had never been exposed to ill intent towards other clans.
For the next 8-11 hours, I worked diligently, trying to stop people from engaging in a war with Gaia Mafia Clan, and laboring to determine the level of this threat with the victims, including Knight, GOOD, the GMC clan, and DODAD. By July 27th, I set up a system of color-coded threat levels on our official website. LightMousy and I gained between 8-10 alliances for LEC and discovered two mules of the Ghost Lord, exposed them, and gave the clans the choice of reporting them.
The Ghost Lord Investigation gave many leaders and strategists their first taste of fame. When most people look back at the incident they consider it petty, but if it wasn't for this incident Light and I would never have thought to use our power as captains to confront later threats.
III. The Great Schism
After a series of issues involving The Ghost Lord and the Chess Pieces clan, Lunar Emperor Clan established itself as a group recognized for strategic skill, strong leadership, and loyal members. Unfortunately, many of the leadership had problems working out time to log on in real life. While Light and I fought the Chess Pieces with a collection of allies, including GOOD, Knight, DODAD, and the hidden midnight wolves' clan, EmperorDart ordered me to end the war within 4 days.
I responded: "If it's not done in 4 days, sir... I will probably start my own clan and not force you guys into it. This war has given me a reputation, and I'll take it alone if I have to... I am making a plan right now... everyone is withdrawing for a reason... that is all I can say.
The war, however, will be over in 4 days for LEC... if it's not, I'll make my own clan... I have worked more than 47 hours on a strategy for the war... I'm not going to abandon it... that's all..." LEC's clan leader completely understood, responding , "ok if you going to make you own clan i just let you have this one because you did a lot of work for this clan more than me."
However, I would not accept the offer; I couldn't live with myself if I were to take his clan after he did all the work of organizing it so well. Unfortunately the war didn't end; 4 days later, I opened the first Knights Templar Clan.
Many members were opposed to the changes in LEC's hierarchy. Ino143 later posted "Luc, I think you should just take the LEC. Because, let's face it, it's always going to be thought of as the Clan Luc is in." My response was: "that is why... I am leaving." I couldn't take LEC; already, the clan itself wrongly looked to me as the true leader. Most others seemed to think I owned it.
IV. The First Knights Templar Clan
Time Index: August 6th 2007- September 13th 2007
2 pages from the time Light and I left the Lunar Emperor Clan, as pronounced weeks later by user JI22, The Lunar Emperor Clan was dead. It would never come to be brought back, and all the old leaders of the clans had departed from the entire system. Instead, the old generals of LEC in a respectful manor had left to start the first Knights Templar Clan in the subforum. At first we had limited members, recruiting was difficult, and not many people really took up much role in the clan except Light, myself and a new leader of ours and a friend of Light's whose username was Cloud Starkiller.
Overall the clan was formed and fought a 2nd war with the Chess Pieces clan over alliance issues, flaming, etc. The 2nd war caused some controversy and many of the alliances the Lunar Emperor Clan began to have with the Ghost Lord Incident and the 1st Chess Pieces war, decided not to join or fight in the 2nd war. Overall… it caused pressure on the Chess Pieces to be released which gave the Knights Templar somewhat of a break in the war. Later I devised a plan to unite The Lunar Emperor Clan and the Knights Templar in a justifiable manor, and thus I created The Ghost Lord X account to make it possible for us to rejoin again to take down a menace.
The merge went over successfully and the new combined clan was called The Knights Templar. Clans later found out a few days later I was The Ghost Lord X.
V. The First Novus Ordo Clan
Time Index: August 25th 2007 – October 26th 2007
Novus Ordo is Latin for "A new order" or "A new rank." The first Novus Ordo Clan was very strong. Basically, it combined the best elements of the Knights Templar with experience in leading 2 wars, and the members of the Lunar Emperor Clan. As stated on the thread's first post "Our Aim is to build a clan that supports the weak, but maintains a level of absolute strength. We don't take #2 as an option and will do all to obtain #1 in everything. We want to be a medium-sized clan that people look at and say "This is a Great Clan." That is obtainable, and our focus is that, and that alone." We in fact did support weaker, starting out clans, and this miniature sized Renaissance of a clan gained us back allies, and gained many more. With leaders such as ATEX5, Cloud Starkiller, and LightMousy we had the premium strategic position for any clan at the time.
We had established this New Order of sorts into a 2 squad clan that worked together quite well. On September 14th, 2007 LightMousy deliberately attacked the Chess Pieces after they said things to the clan people got annoyed at; Thus started a 3rd war with The Chess Pieces clan. This war lost favor quickly, and we needed a way to capitalize on shrinking the Chess Pieces to a small size, therefore claiming the victory more or less. However, LightMousy and other leaders did not wait for the war to end, and basically said that they would leave the clan if the war didn't end within a certain timeframe. However before the timeframe was over, in which I had planned to pull out and pretty much ask for truce, ATEX5 left the clan to head to the Crimson Pride clan in which Cloud Starkiller, and later LightMousy followed suit.
I declared the clan officially over on October 26th 2007, and became a freelancer for which the next 2 ½ months I would remain a freelancer in the clans of battle subforum.
VI. The Eastern Order Incident
Time Index: November 10, 2007- January 15, 2008.
Unlike the other chapters in which I was involved with or in a clan, the Eastern Order Incident was a freelancer and clan attack. The Eastern Order Incident was in fact originally planned by LucofChaos0911 and ATEX5 however, only carried out by LucofChaos0911.
The plan for a new attack on the Chess Pieces was brilliant. The Chess Pieces lack of appreciation of Luc (myself) was spreading as their members had joined all kinds of different clans. The goal of the "operation" more or less was to get solidify all the bad clans with The Chess Pieces influence, a total around 4-6 clans, with a bigger one being the Gaian Order of Demons (GOOD). Basically, the idea was to unite these bad clans into strategic control of LucofChaos0911 by persuading them a secret force made up of many clans were preparing to attack them all. The secret force was originally named the Eastern Empire was changed to the infamous name "The Eastern Order." The goal originally was to have ATEX5 assemble a large group of clans and unite them to attack these "inferior" clans; however ATEX5 never showed up with the clans because his clan leader denied the offer for it to happen. So, basically… I had to dismiss the Eastern Order and explain to many clans that the Eastern Order had decided not to attack their clans, until a different time. However, due to a friend of mine telling her clan leader the situation (Tzukasu)… I was later revealed as the mastermind, and hated by many clans on charges of lying, and treason against many clans allies. Alliances such as GOOD and Knight, the Holy Order, etc. were ripped apart from association with "Luc" and many clans fell into blacklisting me. Clans I never posted in had blacklisted me, and any clan I was in previously or led from posting. Not to seem as if what I did was just… it was my way of justifying the 3 wars with the Chess Pieces previously, one of which ripped apart my clan and one that lost key alliances for my clan. Only one of the wars had ever been a success. The Eastern Order was and still is considered one of the key engagements of forum catastrophes.
Recently, I conducted a series of Interviews with leaders and members involved in the Eastern Order issues. Here is some of the leaders and their take on the situation that erupted.
VII. Vito DeAngelo and The Chitzu Incident
Time Index: February 2nd, 2008 – February 20th, 2008.
Soon, a new clan had emerged however out of the Dragonetti Family (old GMC clan) called the DeAngelo family. Vito Dragonetti, the underboss or capo of the Dragonetti Family had now separated him and most of the old allies I had in the GMC, to this new clan called the DeAngelo family. The DeAngelo Family was built on strict principles, and wealth-gaining. After the Eastern Order Incident I was reeling out of defeat, and wanted to join the Dragonetti Family. Unfortunately, the strictness didn't allow for some easy invite. You had to post a lot to join, not only that but you also had to do jobs that the Don requested of you. Impatient as it may sound or not, I tried to get them to change their way of accepting people in… but it ended in many of them not wanting the change and a general annoyance between myself and this new DeAngelo family.
A few days after I had barely any clan to join, and still mad at the DeAngelos for telling me I could never join their clan or probably never join their clan I wanted to get back at someone. I created a mule named Chitzu and tried to join their clan, when it wasn't accepted in I started to flame the DeAngelo Family. In the process, I may have not minded, but Chitzu had a 3 day ban, and that's when I retired that account. The DeAngelo Family blacklisted Chitzu, and Chitzu is still blacklisted.
VIII. Sons of Gaia & Daughters of Gaia
Time Index: March 2008 – April 2008
This chapter is pretty graphic. It tells us what a forum should never act like. No war… this one was plain conflict. Back in March of this year, I joined the Sons of Gaia hoping to get a new slate. I wanted a fresh start and this new clan known as Sons of Gaia was very popular and would serve to be a better clan for the MMO game coming soon.
If you didn't know, the Sons of Gaia and Daughters of Gaia are two clans pretty much formed at the same time, and are very closely related. They call their members brothers and sisters of each other, and many of them have online relationships between the members such as they have had weddings, and some are girlfriends or boyfriends of each other or others in the forum. The clans looked nice to join and I in fact was a member of them at one time.
After talks with Ned-san and many PMs he told me I would be accepted in the clan as another member and would not be treated as someone with bad intentions. Later leaders like mcan of Knight and Rokioku of GOOD came to the Sons of Gaia saying that I was of bad intention to the clan. Ned-san stood up for me, and I respected that.
However it wasn't till a few weeks later when I started to see inconsistencies within Kitten 4 Him, leader of the Daughters of Gaia, and her leadership in crisis. From my point of view, Ned-san was a very strong, outspoken leader where Kitten was often filled with inconsistent responses, however was very outspoken about her ideals. When I challenged her leadership of Daughters of Gaia, as simply a focus area, it was taken in a wrong direction.
The Daughters of Gaia began uniting under Kitten claiming to Ned-san I was sexist, and I believed only guys could run a good clan. What was laughable to many people including myself, didn't go unheard by Ned-san… and it ended up that Ned-san kicked me out of the Sons of Gaia because the mass complaints of me from the Daughters of Gaia and Kitten.
From then on, it was just battle after battle of me trying to show the true inconsistent work in the Daughters of Gaia. After a bit, I did quit fighting with them… but it was unjustified there in that case. Ned-san later on in August left the Sons of Gaia and ended the clan, he also said many times Kitten 4 Him just never worked to help the clan out, and before the end Kitten 4 Him was blacklisted from the Sons of Gaia. I found it ironic, I could have been right about her.
Ned-san has to be honored though. I think even if he did kick me out, overall his clan thrived and he did pretty well as a leader. He came to realize the inconsistencies in some of his alliances, and he later supported the Sisterhood of Gaia which is now a thriving clan that operates with the old generals of Daughters of Gaia being the leaders.
IX. The New Novus Ordo and the Aost Investigations
Time Index: February 2008 – June 27th 2008
Sometime after I had left Sons of Gaia and Daughters of Gaia, an old nemesis I had ignored from back in February came back. Except this time, he seemed as if he would join my side. He seemed much nicer, and was a capable general in the new clan I intended to create. Soon after this more welcome return of a rival I tended to ignore, I began plans on having a new Novus Ordo completely squad based. The idea was to have 6 squads with 6 leaders in equal power. The 6 chosen leaders were now known as LinkofChaos0911, ATEX5, Dino Cavone, KendansaAdnilam, Aost, and FennOmanon. This new clan was considered by our members as well as our alliances to come out to be a good one. It had the 6 best strategists, leaders, and gamers as well as roleplayers from the entire subforum. The clan seemed to be going great. However, power issues aroused. The "council" between us 6 leaders never quite worked out, and the struggle for who had dominance in the clan was widespread. On May 18th, 2008 Novus Ordo fell to be dead. Starting with Aost, closely followed by ATEX5… the leaders left the clan. Dino Cavone wanted to join a mafia clan, as where he had specialized in before joining Novus Ordo, and FennOmanon simply helped with a new investigation that was about to form.
Truth with Aost was that when he left, it was simply an excuse when he said he was leaving because posting was limited to 3 in 5 messages being random and not for the clan's benefit in Novus Ordo. He used this as a way to escape from the clan he had devoted he would stay in.
Instead, he was building up a clan ever since Novus Ordo had started, called the Illuminated Society. With the username: Azurux he hid his identity. For the next several months, Fenn and I worked tirelessly on trying to prove Azurux and Aost were the same people which we eventually did and I eventually got proof of it. When I exposed him in an open thread-like investigation result thread… ATEX5 and tzukasu, members of Aost's elite friends more or less, described him as agitated at first and then calm later on. Obviously, Aost had lost some battle there.
The question of war with the Illuminated Society would require a clan, and thus begins the most current chapter in the story.
X. The Latest Knights Templar Clan
Time Index: Sunday, June 1st, 2008 – Present
Ever since all of these problems occurred, everyone had wanted a Link that wasn't engaged in wars. The problem was this, that Link had left the system months before, and most involved with the exception of possibly mcan or some other people… never knew of TGL or the events that led to me being in wars. For some it was the Eastern Order incident that has set their clan against me or had set their clan against me, for others it was an incident with the DeAngelo Family, initial problems with Aost, the wars with the Chess Pieces, wars here and there involving other clans or detailed investigations. Maybe a friend of theirs left a clan because of a planned attack, or maybe it was all the "drama" of the sequence of events. However, when I began this new clan at the start of the summer, initial intentions were to be free of wars, and by luck, I was already free of my past ever since the Sons of Gaia and Daughters of Gaia incident. Ever since then, I was free of the pressure of leading people into a self-destructing conflict. However, what gave me so many great members in the Knights Templar we see today is not the overall forgiveness of the incidents that happened.
On June 19th, two landmark events occurred. The first was this: I was informed by an ex-member of the Illuminated Society which had collapsed earlier about 4 weeks before that it collapsed in a plan to get rid of me. It would come back June 27th and KT would be a focal point of Illuminated Society targeting me. Then in a risky move I asked Azurux about some things most notably… what would it take for KT to show up and fight Illuminated Society. Pretty much the response is that you would have to have a clan with an actual good size and structure. Well, I was so lucky I guess… because on June 19th Gaia admins released a Community Spotlight on a Gaia Jobs Center in which people could go search for jobs or volunteer work, even membership into guilds, clans, or groups. When I saw it I immediately noticed this Bribe Spot at the top of the page where you could have your application for wanting members or workers. Basically, if you outbid somebody in gold you could have your advertisement up there. Well, in the biggest transaction of 180,000 gold, I had KT's advertisement put on the top of that thread. To give you an estimate of how many people visited that thread I'll give you a number. Ever since the day after this was spotlighted the thread starred more than 37,323 gaians who checked the thread out. Within the first day, KT had 50 members more than it had before. Pretty much, the goal of this was to get enough people to fight in a war… however, the war never did take place. Many reforms such as the Corelli Family coming out, and the Knights Templar and many other clans becoming allies… the war never took place and soon after on July 5th, 2008 Illuminated Society and the Knights Templar joined in a truce.
Ever since the event has happened where KT has stepped away from wars and conflicts, things have improved substantially across the entire subforum. Clans are coming together in eager anticipation for a new MMO named zOMG! to come out. Hopefully that day is sooner than later.
The Knights Templar clan has been flourishing for months now, and is a clan bent on trying to be the best in morals, the best in decision-making, and the best of friends for this MMO. The buddies I have as generals, lt generals, captains, majors, lieutenants, privates, and even specialists and more are my favorite people to be around.
Added within the text are special interviews I took after writing this. Hopefully the history is not just history but a conclusion to an old system, and old way of thinking, and a resolve to a bad situation. I hope that this will inadvertently help any situation that may occur later on in the forum.
XI. Afterword
Well, at this point I hope that the autobiography of the torn system in which I dealt with over the past some 12 months, will help the rebuilding process that has already begun to occur. Unlike a conclusion which usually has a synopsis of the article resolving it, I may seem to leave it open here. John McCain said in a presidential debate the following "We don't want to be at the beginning of a crisis or at the end of one, but the end of the beginning of a crisis." Our problem lies not in the conflicts themselves, but our resolve to stop them with and heal the situation.
If you haven't noticed, the Knights Templar Clan has recently been making alliances with all kinds of clans, from small to big, from former enemy to longtime friend, we have made it our passion to find alliances and show them we're looking out for their clan. So why would a clan whose leader has been in literally nearly ten wars in this forum, an amazingly big rivalry with some of the major leaders in the forum and a chance to take on them in wars using his members give it up? At first, we may laugh at this statement. It's like saying "Why are you nice?" but then when we think about it, it's much more complex. There must have been an event, a fundamental change where this person hit the crossroads and said enough is enough.
Well here goes the last part of this story. Sometime back in June, I think it was on June 21st 2007 or so… a member of the Illuminated Society, Azurux's clan (Aost's clan), came to me and gave me details to where Azurux's hideout was, and when the clan was coming back… June 27th, 2008 (at the time, the Illuminated Society was in a hiatus). I was told everything I needed. It was total victory for me, everything had changed and what had originally been a situation where I thought I was going to be in a losing battle, I knew when their clan was coming back, I could plant spies in their hideouts, it all opened up. However, I wanted to talk to Azurux before I attacked his clan without mercy. I asked him what I would need to have him consider me an enemy. His answer was "a clan with active members that somewhat knew what they were doing."
So, with some opening options I spent almost a total of 230,000 gold creating the Knights Templar and such. What I realized over the next few weeks was that I had a new clan, and taking care of my clan and taking care of training my members to have ethics within clans as I was taught by clan leaders of mine in the past, was what my top priority had become. The war never transpired even after an empty threat and many other bumps happened in July. Overall, by mid-July I had called for a seize-fire and it happened. Later on mcan and I created a strong alliance, and many other leaders did too. On July 6th, 2008 I released the State of the System Address which covered over issues like Ned-san, leader of Sons of Gaia being banned, tighter regulations on the Illuminated Society, and other main issues. By mid-August I had regained alliances with the Sons of Gaia and Daughters of Gaia, the chess pieces and other top name clans that had been enemies in the past.
So why did I end it all, and why did I extend the invitation for alliances? Simply because I could end the conflict, the self-revolving problem, the unfortunate misunderstanding, I could end it with simply a better outlook, quick resolve and good conclusions.
"For greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city." –Chris Tomlin
Full Interviews with Predominant members of the Gaia Online Subforum:
An Exclusive PM Interview with Rokioku, Leader of the Gaian Order of Demons (Sat Sep 27, 2008)
Q: What was your first reaction when you saw that there was a potential threat to GOOD and other clans?
A: Granted that was some time ago, I recall an initial feeling of doubt and caution. I found it hard to believe that a force existed strong enough to wipe out several of the more prominent clans in one sweep, though I did not rule it out completely. I couldn't ignore the threat in good conscience knowing I had condemned my clan and others to destruction.
Q: If you had completely known LucofChaos0911 was behind the entire thing and the "attack" more or less wasn't on your clan but another clan you didn't like would you support the idea or construction of what Eastern Order brought?
A: It's hard to say, I may have though. I'd favor a more subtle plan myself, but I can't deny that it wouldn't be effective, not to mention fun
Q: Back in December one of the Eastern Order mules said there would be an attack on a holiday probably. Did you take that seriously, or not?
A: No, I remember thinking it would be improbable someone would ruin a holiday with petty threats over the internet. I can't say it didn't concern me, but I felt strong enough that it was either a ruse or an empty threat to take only slight precautionary measures.
Q: Eastern Order was originally named the Eastern Empire, the Western Order Luc had created was once named the Western Empire in original sketches of the plan. Seeing how the plan was taken from a historical context (split of Byzantine and Roman Empire) do you believe that there were any true connections between the two events? Could something like that be applied to a situation in a forum effectively in your opinion?
A: Granted my history on the Roman Empire is a bit sketchy, I haven't studied it for two or three years now, I can see a parallel between two. At least now, It wouldn't have occurred to me then. I can see how it was meant to be the same, but something must have gone amiss in execution. I think military strategy could be effectively used in the forum, as long as its applied correctly of course.
Q: Eastern Order was hyped as one of the more significant events that brought conflict in the forums, would you agree with that or have there been worse or tougher situations?
A: I wouldn't say that it necessarily brought conflict to the forum actually. The Eastern Order was a scare tactic more than anything; it may have aggravated existing conflict though. Individually, many clans have had more prudent conflicts, but none that enveloped more than a handful of clans. Speaking is terms of size; the Eastern Order was definitely something big. It enveloped the majority of clans that had a decent foot hold in forum standings.
Q: In the future of the zOMG! Gaia Online Battle System do you expect PvP to bring about a rebirth of the old ideas and old conflicts we saw back in November 2007-May 2008? Or will it have died down?
A: That's hard to say, It depends on how deeply rooted the conflict was. If it was something prolonged and never resolved, I believe it will. If it was something petty or even big as long as it was properly resolved, chances are it will stay dead. Even if I'm wrong and past wars aren't brought back, new ones will certainly present themselves, and I'm looking forward to it.
Q: Your clan, The Gaian Order of Demons, is accredited as the second largest clans in the forum right now, as far as members are concerned, maybe even the largest. Do you think your large clan size will propel your clan forward to bigger and better things when an MMO comes out?
A: Honestly, I think it will have a large effect. With a larger number of members our strength for PvP situations should prove effective since it seems the MMO isn't based on skill and much and monotonous button clicking. It will also help stock our clan's mules with useful MMO items (rings and such) early on so we have them at our disposal when needed. Keep in mind though, this is based on the assumption that the MMO is focused on monster killing and completing quests as opposed to purely PvP and clan wars.
Q: If you could list 3 people or clans in the clans of battle subforum who are not associated with your clan that you respect the most, who would they be?
A: That's hard actually; so many people to choose from...
The three below are not necessarily in order.
Mcan and the Knight Clan
LinkofChaos0911 and the Knights Templar Clan
Miyamori Mayu and the Shinsengumi Clan (No Longer Active)
Q: Do you have any special plans for what your clan will do when the MMO comes out? Parties, Big Meetings?
A: Yes we do, but only some of I'll share publicly. We plan to acquire a multitude of items fast, in the first few weeks, and amass them for when the need arrives. As far as meetings go, nothing specific.
Q: If the MMO is less than par for most of the people who play it, or if it's less than par when it comes out, what might be your course of action?
A: I've put too much time into my clan for the experience to be ruined by a bad MMO. I'd try to play it out and hope the developers continue to make improvements along the way.
An Exclusive MSN Chat Interview with ATEX5, Beta Leader of the Crimson Pride Clan:
Q: Novus Ordo, the predominant one known for its six leaders, four of which with considerable experience. Shortly explain why you believe the clan failed.
A: Well let's see... the main concept of the new Novus Ordo was that it would be controlled by the 6 leaders. No leader would be above the rest. I knew that there was no way in hell it would work out. Everyone wants to be in charge.
Q: Novus Ordo, the first one, was a combination of people with 4 main leaders; LightMousy, ATEX5, Cloud Starkiller, and LucofChaos0911. Link led the entire unit, Light, leader of the Knights Templar squad, Cloud, leader of the LEC squad. The clan fell apart in a chess pieces war when the war was not ended in a short amount of time. Many leaders like war and are excited for it, but where do you draw the line in when a war ends?
A: Well the problem is that a forum war can never be won. There is no victor and so there can be no loser and in saying so that means it will only end when one side has had enough and well they said it many times but since they did not meet LucofChaos0911's demands it kept on and on so like I have said many times forum wars are a waste of time.
Q: Soon after the second Novus Ordo collapsed an investigation went underway to find out the identity of one of the old leaders, Aost. Describe the Crimson Pride Clan and your reaction to the large scale investigation that was carried out.
A: Well actually I didn't know about it. I only found out when Aost told me. The Crimson Pride Clan never had anything much to do with any other clan so it was business as usual.
Q: LucofChaos0911 in some cases was considered under many other leaders as far as how he conducted clan business. Do you believe that LucofChaos0911 or the Novus Ordo clans ever had much of a reputation equal to that of intermediately good clans?
A: Well when LucofChao0911's name came up the words after it were never nice ones, so the clans were infamous from the start. But that does give it a certain amount of power I mean everyone is watching you...so you might as well put on a good show.
Q: Eastern Order was originally planned between ATEX5 and LucofChaos0911. What was the biggest problem that happened in early-mid stages of the conflict?
A: Well the biggest problem was the concept of it to make a clan made purely of allied clans was a daunting task and at that time LucofChaos0911 wasn't a very popular figure in Gaia so as soon as I said LucofChaos0911 as the other leader most clans just laughed and completely ignored me from there on out.
Q: If you could list 3 people or clans in the clans of battle subforum who are not associated with your clan that you respect the most, who would they be?
A: Well for one it has to be the Knights Templar. Two, LinkofChaos0911. Third on my list would be Aost.
An Exclusive Interview with mcan via PM, Leader of Knight- a clan (the biggest clan on Gaia)
Q: Knight, the clan is the largest clan in the entire Gaia Online Clans of Battle subforum. Since its creation it has slowly ranked higher and higher. Your clan is an example of stability over a long period of time. What are some of the things a clan really needs to carry that stability even when hit with hardships?
A: A leader who knows when to keep things interesting. A leader who can be a hard ass, no wimps allowed. A general knowledge of how Gaia works also helps
Q: Many conflicts concerning GOOD had Knight reinforcing that they were behind the scenes helping GOOD. Beyond the alliance, was or is there a certain close tie between Knight and GOOD?
A: Knight and GOOD have talked behind the scenes about many things. None of them were in any way helping the other.
Q: The Gangs of Gaia was one clan LucofChaos0911 had wanted to destroy or more or less stop. They later merged with your clan, Knight. Gangs of Gaia was a good and large clan, so looking over conflicts between Gangs of Gaia and other people, was there an assumption that the merge wouldn't cause any problems to your own clan?
A: I did think there would be some problems. Mostly things went the way I expected. And link, you can't attack the new GoG. (EDIT by Link: sweat hopefully a sarcastic remark, xD)
Q: Clans of Battle Subforum. Was it truly ironic in the end that the moderators chose that name for the subforum considering all of the conflict that did happen?
A: Not really. I'm sure they expected flame wars and such.
Q: You are a beta tester. Just for the crowd reading. Rate the MMO based on a scale of it being: Very Good; Good; Okay; Bad; Suck; Fail
A: Okay - one of the slower games I have played
Q: If you could list 3 individuals or clans apart from your own clan who you respect the most, and are active in the clans of battle subforum or once were, please tell us who they would be.
A: Le Fleur De Mort - The only clan that has held their own against knight for a while.
Annyxiplix Phantom - Former leader of The Cerberus Brigade, Knight's first enemy and later ally.
The Star Clan - Without them Knight would not exist.
An Exclusive Interview with Vito DeAngelo, Don of the DeAngelo Family via PMs
Q: The Gaia Battle system (zOMG!) is coming soon. What do you believe the DeAngelo family will do when it first comes out?
A: Sorry that's kinda classified.
Q: The Ghost Lord, and figures like the "worrior brothers" are associated with mafia or family style clans such as yours. Do you believe they had a negative effect at first but a positive one later?
A: As far as I know, I haven't seen anything negative from them. Hey they're good bumpers y'know.
Q: This is kind of an odd question and it's kind of the first of its style in these interviews... but if you were to classify yourself, your actions, and your leadership into a genre of music or a song, what would that genre or song be?
A: Something between Jazz and a little bit of Heavy Metal. Song Ennio Moriccone's- The Untouchables
Q: The DeAngelo Family has been allies with many of the other "family" clans, and not so much sometimes. Can you describe one experience you have had within families that sticks out?
A: Well heh when saints broke the alliance with us because we planted a spy in their clan. That's pretty much a "sticking out" experience.
Q: Besides people in your own clan or yourself, will you name 3 people that you respect the most on Gaia who are or have been apart of the Clans of Battle subforum. (They can be clans as well)
A: Yeah, I'll give reasons too
-mcan- Havin' the biggest clan that's still around and be able to manage it.
-LinkofChaos0911-For making the whole waiting for the MMO much more interesting
-Giovanni DellaRocco- Helpin' me out in situations and for showin' me the ropes in the business.
Q: Many of the clans have had many bad experiences with each other, now many of them are allies. Is the zOMG beta tests, and the game itself in eager anticipation enough to really be a uniting force in your opinion?
A: Probably enough, yeah.
Q: The Family clans of Gaia have recently multiplied from just clans like the DeAngelos and Dragonettis to about 6 separate clans of that type. What makes the DeAngelos stand above the rest in your opinion?
A: Sheesh what I hate the most in Families is when they disband. The DeAngelo's are the one Family that has enough experience in the business. Starting from me to the last of the members, we're all "hardened warriors". For the little small-time bosses, I feel sorry for them.
Q: There was originally going to seven questions, but I wanted to add this one in. The beta test for today is going down around 12 PM PT. Whatever time that may be for you, they just added anyone who signed up... basically for people who have been waiting a long time October 3rd, 2008 will be the day they got to play in it. So question is, now that we have hit the zOMG! together, what happens next? You can name anything you want. But to you, what comes next?
A: The greatest experience in Gaia. Keeping fingers crossed!
An Exclusive Interview with Azurux, leader of the Illuminated Society, via PMs
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