Campfire Tales - The Gaming Clan Soap Opera Blues

Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes in a gaming clan? Picture this: you’re in the middle of an intense virtual battle, only for a teammate to suddenly vanish to fix his shed. That’s the kind of unpredictability we explore in our latest episode, where we recount our rollercoaster ride through the chaotic world of gaming clans. 

Get a front-row seat to the drama that unfolds not just in the games, but in the forums where battles of words often eclipse those of weapons. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just curious about this digital subculture, this episode promises a captivating glimpse into the world of gaming communities, offering both hearty laughs and genuine insights.

Let us know where we're going wrong....or, like, right...maybe.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome, dear listener to whatever this is
currently untitled and, going bythe codename, you never get
those minutes back.
Life in a gaming clan A soapopera for the console generation
.
I always wanted to be in a clan, not some battle axe wielding,
kilt wearing willy, waving bluefaced hijinks.
Mind you, I always wanted to bein a gaming clan.

(00:34):
The thought of going intoconsole warfare as part of a
well-oiled killing machine withslicker moves than the 70s
Brazilian football team wasappealing.
It sounded dramatic andexciting, a band of brothers
fighting side by side until thebitter end, and I was a fan of
Band of Brothers, which soundedlike a band of brothers.
The reality, however, was alittle different.
There was drama, but it wasmore soap opera than theatre of

(00:56):
war, and we were indeed a bandof brothers fighting side by
side until one of the banddisconnected mid-con war to go
and fix his shed.
That did happen.
Like I say, the reality was alittle different.
Here's my story of life in aclan the ups, the downs and the
weirdness, within only a monthor so, of breaking from the
single-player cocoon andfluttering off into the new

(01:18):
world of online play.
I had applied to become part ofa clan.
By applied I don't mean I sentoff my CV of notable
game-related accomplishments tothe clan leaders, held out for a
nil-nil draw on FIFA and suchlike.
No, no, my application was moreakin to an introduction on the
clan forums.
The clan were known as Army ofOrion.
Whether this was in referenceto the stars or the shitty old
car from the 80s, I never foundout, but I tentatively posted

(01:42):
this intro.
Hi folks, bass, allstar here,xbox 360 gamer Call of Duty 3
especially Good sense of humour.
Enjoy long mingling walks alongthe beach.
Can I join?
Piss poor.
That was a rough estimate ofthe words in that first
introduction application.
As I remember, both myself andmy wife were trying to join the

(02:02):
good old army of Orion.
Weirdly, they replied statingthat someone from the clan would
join us in a random online gameand, for want of better words,
weigh us up.
And so it was.
General Beaker entered the game, stayed for a few minutes,
didn't say much left and we werein Easiest job interview I ever
had.
The brief time spent with Armyof Orion was a laugh.
I enjoyed how playing onlinewith a part of a unified group

(02:26):
elevated the experience incomparison to setting out alone,
but it also offered the firsthints of the soap opera of
relationships that live withinthese groups.
More battles were fought in theforums than on the console
games we came to play, and itsoon became time to move on, or
rather to build something of ourown.
My main purpose for gettinginvolved in a clan was to embark

(02:46):
on a journey that involved lotsof Call of Duty 3 matches
against rival clans.
Almost immediately it was clearCall of Duty was playing
permanent second fiddle to Gearsof War and fresh plans were
necessary if my cod fix was tobe fed.
Warhounds were born, my ownlittle clan.
We used clan initials as otherclans do, but realised we would
have been WC, not the best.

(03:07):
So we added towns as almost aseparate word and became WHC
much more acceptable.
We welcomed other members andwe enjoyed sweet hours of cod
free action.
The members came, we had ahealthy clan of 20 plus, all of
whom wanted to play Gears of War, and so it was.
Gears was a permanent fixture,with the occasional cod scrap

(03:29):
thrown into the mix from time totime.
But I was happy.
The site looked decent, if a tadbasic.
We had a good reputation as afriendly and fair bunch and our
membership was going rapidly andthen it all started to go
pear-shaped.
The ugly face of the soap operabeast reared its head once
again.
It's strange how quickly sillylittle irritants escalate and
threaten to bring the wallscrashing in.

(03:49):
But it happened.
Bickering began, little feudson the forums between members
whose personalities could dolittle but clash.
Strange atmosphere in theonline air as members ignored
each other or occasionally brokeout into all-out verbal warfare
.
The member who left mid-clanmatch to fix his shed and then
left the clan altogether acouple of days later, being

(04:11):
unable to fully accept theshed-related piss-taking that
took place.
Before long the nights oflaughter, free-flowing alcohol
and good times had evaporatedand in came arguments and bad
feeling.
The strong bonds that had beenformed, the great memories of
matches and the free-flowingconversation in the forums sank
without trace.
Members began to drift and wetoo jumped ship, leaving the

(04:33):
clan in the hands of those leftbehind.
One year had passed, that is all.
The end of Warhound signalledthe end of my own interest in
the whole clan thing.
I joined a community, projectEcholon, and had a pleasant time
meeting good people again.
There were no more matches, butthe band of brothers were back
and I was back as an army of one.
Clans can be wonderful things,full of memorable moments and

(04:57):
unforgettable characters.
Oh the characters.
Great places to build friends,great places to build sheds, a
place for good gaming and aplace for big laughs.
But when it goes wrong, itcrumbles fast.
I always look back on my clandays with fondness, but I was
never into soap operas, and thathas yet to change.