The Planetside 2 Division: Moving Forward

The Vision:
NNG as an outfit has a proud background in Planetside 2. We stand for community values and gaming in a drama-free environment, while bringing the pain to our foes on the battlefield. From the competitive spotlight in CommunityClash and ServerSmash, to every-day squads, our goal as an outfit is to be a feared presence on the battlefield. But there is no point in online gaming without friendship, camaraderie and community.

The fundamental challenge that we face as a community at this time are rooted in social problems. From not logging into teamspeak, not using the forums or not being a team player in-game, the officers have struggled over the past months with what is primarily a social issue in this outfit. Furthermore, there has been far too much drama, much of it spilling out of past attempts to address these challenges.

Past hurdles:
For some of you, it will be helpful to have a glimpse of the challenges we have been trying to combat as your officers.

There was a distinct pattern of players not logging into TS while they play. During times when squads were full, many players were still not interacting, communicating or using voice comms to create a fun and combat-effective experience. There are times where it is good to be serious but there are also times where its good to build camaraderie amongst each other. We don’t want to force people to be on TS at all times, NNG is not that type of outfit. Yet a well-utilized teamspeak server is a big part of what makes an outfit more than your average zergfit.

Another issue that plagued our outfit for months was a lack of utilization of the forums, especially as it pertained to event planning. We had no idea if enough people would show up for scrimmages, practices and even the semi-finals of CommunityClash!!! And poorly utilized forums translates into bad planning, disorganization and ultimately, poor performance. Being active on the forums allows us to see you care about the community, and are in the know about what is going on.

Lastly, there was a growing attitude problem within the outfit. The ultimate goal is to see friendships develop that translate into in-game teamwork (multi-crew vehicle teams, max/engie buddies, and overall cohesion as a squad). Yet, it was clear that not everyone felt welcome, and that many of our members were becoming isolated from various groups within NNG. The source of this problem is multifactorial - partly due to splitting competitive vs. non-competitive, partly due to individual members having poor attitudes (and some of those members have been asked to leave NNG strictly because of elitism and poor attitude). Partially this was due to the above issues of poor TS and forum utilization.

The NNG/NNGC split was designed to address those problems, which it was partially successful in. More people were participating, and there became intense interest in how to improve NNG moving forward. Several players took the wake up call and sought to improve their attitude, communication and in-game performance. However, the two outfit system created several new problems in the process and we as officers were not satisfied with our efforts and felt that a better solution could be made. Ultimately, the vision we have for NNG is that we are feared on the battlefield, and that our members have a quality gaming experience in a community made up of friends. Note there is no mention of MLG, KDR, SPH or reddit posting. Because that is not what the past changes were about, nor are they moving forward.

Moving forward:
One outfit: NNGC will cease to exist. Those of you who were previously in NNGC, please re-apply in-game, and thank you for your patience as your character has been shifted around over the last two months.

Expectations:
If you do not agree with, or do not want to be a part of the following, NNG may not be the right place for you moving forward. And please understand that these are expectations, not strict 100% rules as we are trying to create a better community, not the military.

Comms:
While playing PS2, log into teamspeak and be a part of the squad. During non-ops times, it’s fine to solo-farm or practice different gamestyles, or be on different continents from others. But as we all know, PS2 is better enjoyed with friends, and working together generally results in better performance and fun for all.

Presence:
Attend at least 1 practice and meeting per month. For those with odd work schedules or live out of EST, we understand and still want you to be part of the community. Please let your officers know about the conflict by sending a PM addressed to ThaneKrios, Jaamaw and Phaedo and we will work with you.

If you feel that you are underperforming in game, attend practices or talk to an officer/tacician ASAP. These people are here to help you gain momentum in the right direction by supplying you with the resources and tools you may need or request to better any aspect of your gameplay. Those who choose not to seek aid on improving themselves in their weakest areas and continue to be a burden on the group as a whole will be noticed.

Forums:
RSVP to events. Just do it, even if you can’t come. This is super simple. Letting others know about any extended leave that you may be incurring is also important so that we can as a community know about what is going on with you, in terms of being able to attend events, practices or meetings.

Attitude:
More ambiguous than the above points, yet no less important. Members of NNG are positive thinkers, motivated in-game to help their squad (volunteer for beacon placement, looking for opportunities to outmaneuver their enemy, pull vehicles when helpful, and lead squad when no one else is able). We all have our bad days, or moments when we are fucking mad and log out in frustration. But those moments cannot be the majority of your experience in NNG, or at least, they shouldn’t be shared in rage with all of us on teamspeak (we have all played with that guy who is bitching on coms about lag, hit detection, vehicles, maxes, shotguns, etc. 24/7. Don’t be that guy). MOST IMPORTANTLY, members of NNG will not be tolerated talking down to other members. You can provide constructive feedback, or advice on how to improve - but moving forward we will not tolerate people making other members feel bad about their gameplay. That includes practices, casual squads, or ops. Make this place your home, and make it one that others will enjoy being a part of.

Recruitment:
As before, people who want to join NNG will apply on our forums. They will be encouraged to get to know you all, through teamspeak and in-game squads/ops, practices and meetings. The officers will review each application to see if that candidate is a good fit for the outfit. We also will take feedback from all of you, so please send any praise or concerns to us on people looking to join NNG. If we feel that the candidate is NNG material and has shown a commitment to the vision outlined above, their trial period will end and a formal invite will be extended. The trial period will last as long as it takes for the officers to be confident in this decision.

Competition:
This is different from being “competitive”, which is to say, feared on the battlefield. Competition refers specifically to scrimmages and events outside of regular live server ops. We will no longer have a separate competitive roster. Under the new vision and game plan, all of you are on the “competitive team”. For specific events, we will have signups for interested members. You are not guaranteed a spot on the roster however - as the organizers of each event will be able to select participants from the pool of interested members. Do not be afraid of signing up. If you want to participate, and are available - do it. Our goal in this aspect of NNG is for the PL/SL to have so many names to pick from for each event that we have to ask for volunteers to sit out. Notice that I have not said our goal is to WIN. Yes, we wouldn’t compete if we didn’t want to win. But winning comes from having a strong community and a strong team, and THAT is what we truly want moving forward.

NNGT/JCST: Being a member of NNG grants you access to our altfits. You are encouraged to join them and participate during their weekly ops. However it is not mandatory, in part due to the fact that not everyone will have enough characters on their account if you are on other servers as well. There are members of these altfits that are not a part of NNG proper. They do not have access to forums, but sometimes use our teamspeak.

In closing:
Again - thank you for being patient with us, the PS2 officers, as we have gone through this period of change. At the heart of it all, we want to make this outfit a better place for us and for you. With your help, we are confident that we will get there.

Action:
“Ok, I read this wall of text. So now what?”
The first thing you should do after reading this, is ask yourself if you agree with the direction we are moving in. If not, we will not take it personally, but you should reconsider membership in NNG. Next - make sure you understand the expectations section, specifically for TS, attitude and attendance. Because we will be expecting this moving forward. Lastly, make sure you are using the forums and RSVP-ing for events, even if it is to say “no I can’t make it”.

There are undoubtedly some aspects of the community that we haven’t specifically addressed. Feel free to ask for clarification. But for the most part, this isn’t up for debate. That time has passed. This is how we are moving forward. And all of us, your officers, are not only confident but excited for the future of this outfit. We hope you are as well.

 

Phaedo's general basis for how a stellar NNG PS2 Member conducts themselves on a daily basis is known as "MARCC":


Maturity

- Level Headed
- Rational
- Responsible
- Suggests ideas rather than complains
- Handles situations rather than create them

Attitude

- Being positive
- Not rage quitting
- Listens to others and understands
- Provides constructive criticism

Responsibility

- Ability to act without constant instructions
- Ability to take and/or relinquish squad lead quickly
- Ability to know what to do and how to do it quickly and correctly without asking
- Attends practices, meetings or events

Coordination

- Can operate in a squad tactfully and responsibly
- Can successfully coordinate with others (Pocket engie, tank team, etc.)
- Works with the team

Communication

- Can talk to others in channel
- Openly talks tactically to others in TS
- Logs into TS and STAYS in TS for the duration of their session
- Operates on the various media that NNG provides (forums, twitter, WhatsApp..)

 

I just want to add, all of your officers chipped in to craft this document, and it was reviewed by leaders outside of the PS2 division. We think it is the right way to move forward for the outfit, and I hope you all will at least give this a chance and work with us to keep making this community a great one.

There are a few things we are working on to help implement the changes outlined here, including adding an "extended AFK" forum so you can simply post there if you plan on taking a break from PS2 but want us to keep the lights on and the house warm while you're out. We are also discussing putting the event threads in a seperate board so you can easily browse them without getting it mixed with our rage tell threads and other fun posts.

Thanks again to all of you for your feedback in previous discussions, it had a large impact on how we decided to move forward. I'm going to lock the old thread as it is no longer relevant.

 

I justed wanted to go talk about what I feel about the social aspect of NNG not as an offcier but as a community member, and how I was coming into NNG and how I am now.

When I joined NNG I didn’t come into TS, I didn’t interact with anyone except the person I joined with and I didn’t play with anyone other than the one person I joined with. I didn’t really want to join the TS server or talk to people for several reasons, I was intimidated by it a little, nervous to speak in a big group of good friends. It was intimidating trying to be a part of this big group of people who seemed to be all really good friends and they were also good players, far better than I was, or was interested in being at that time.

After a few weeks of playing I started to play more and more in TS and with the NNG squads, After a while I started to feel more and more apart of NNG and started becoming more active not just ingame but in the community. I started logging in for not just for the game but for the people.

Fast forward a bit to Community clash, this was the first competitive gaming experience I’ve had in my life, I was nervous as hell and worried about everything that could possibly go wrong, but after I played it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences of my life, I wanted more and started trying to get more people to get the same level of enjoyment that I did at those community clash matches.

I made some of my best friends by playing with this community, Like Jaamaw who I talk to daily whether it be through texting or in game, I know I can come to him whenever with whatever problem and if someone told me if there was only one person that I could play with for the rest of my life, I’d be happy for it to be him. The same with Mortos who I spent countless hours playing smite and I hope to be able to meet him later this year at the Smite LAN tournament in Georgia . He was a big help with becoming a moderator and admin for NNG, gave me adive and encouragement that pushed me to stive for more within NNG. He is another person I can come to with anything in the world and they’d take me seriously and listen and I'd feel comfortable doing so. In fact I sent them both this post before I put it up so they could read it and give me feedback.

To make this long post short, no matter how intimidating it may be or how nervous you may feel, becoming a bigger and more involved part of this community is one of the best things you can do for yourself inside and outside of the game and I can’t stress enough how great it is to be involved in a community as great as NNG, and how much it is worth every bit of effort that you put in.

 

i don't know if i should be posting here, as it may drag the post off-topic, but i would like clarification on one issue. practices. when i first heard about them, i thought they were for comp events, and did not go. later, i learned they were for everybody, but still had no room for the Test client, nor a mic with which to make things viable. i think i explained why i wasn't going in one of the other threads, and that seemed to translate as okay, stay in NNGC. which was fine, as i still have those restrictions i previously mentioned. am i obligated to attend these?

 

It`s a good document.

Like Xenon I think the practices thing is the sticking point. For me, it`s not having test updated or the microphone that`s the problem, it`s committing to a lengthy op on a work-night that, in the past, has been nasty. It has taken a long time to get started and then people got frustrated, snippy, and downright rude with alarming speed. There was no noticeable attempt to offer specific coaching or identify issues with those considered to be weighing down their squad.

Maybe things have gotten a lot better since I stopped going, but it`s a pretty big hesitation, for me. All the rest of the stuff I`m either already doing or willing to work on.

 

And now we can't get thane to shut up :p jk, love ya babes.

I am happy that we are pursuing this route.

I enjoy the forums and TS but I won't be on twitter or whatsapp, it's a personal choice

 

i still would really appreciate somebody who can, say one way on the other on the practices, and if they're absolutely required or not.

 

It is requested you try to make it to at least one a month as a minimum- but some to as many as possible.

 

fair enough, but will i face ejection if i don't manage/desire to attend?