[MRP] Defining Soul & A Letter to US/AFG Officers Alike

[Ziggy 1,353]

Preface I:

To all officers, I really hope you read this over thoroughly, hear me out, reflect, and study the sheet attached later in the post. In this thread, I am going to cover a lot of things that pertain to the term 'soul'. I use this term quite often and I define it as: elements of the player base that improve the environment and experience of the server. Before you scream nostalgia addict, I want you to really hear me out because while the server has changed over time, fundamental and engaging elements of the past can absolutely be brought back to improve the server. I am going to go into depth on what officers looked like in the past versus what they look like now. This is not an attack on any current officers and this thread is entirely designed to show the shift in behavior of officers over the years. The reason I would like to point this out is that I believe that we all, as officers, should make a great effort to return the elements of soul that existed long ago. While this sounds like nostalgia bullshit, I assure you that as someone who has spent 7 years in this community with most of my time on MRP, there used to be very real and cool elements that made the server feel alive and engaging while requiring 0 additional content and only effort from officers. These elements don't exist in the same capacity and it is devastating to player retention. I will provide my own theories as to why. 

 

Attitude II:

The first thing I would like to reminisce on is the attitude of officers. While officers varied in quality, as they always have, there were some exceptional ones that made the server feel alive. Outstanding officers still exist of course, but I think I can confidently speak for most officers on the server when I say: Being an officer doesn't really feel like being an officer. I want new players to experience the same feeling of awe I did of being a lower enlisted, learning the ropes, and being guided by players with seniority. Some of the most memorable moments can be attributed to Rangers. When I was initiated into that faction long ago, we would often jog around the desert as we sung cadences for no reason other than to feel like a Ranger. This made me feel like I was a part of the faction and honestly created great memories that I'll never forget. Some players have made it evident that they believe PT (physical training) is a negative thing for the player base and I created this thread because I heavily disagree. I believe that PT, while it can be overused and annoying at times, is actually some of the most healthy behavior from officers the server can get. It's something you would see on an actual military establishment and if done correctly, can actually be kind of fun. Creative officers would turn PT into a competition by making their troops race or compete. Marines used to be assigned to an objective and if they lost it for that war, them and MARSOC would do a lap around the map. They sang cadences as they screamed "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD!" over their mic as they ran in formation and that there brought some of the coolest and engaging activity I've seen in MRP's history. I understand that if you overdo PT and for the wrong reasons, it can be annoying at times, but good officers know when and when not to use it and that's something we can all work on together. PT is just one example of soul that we should bring back to the server. 

Now we'll look at some other small things that I think brought a lot to the server. When joining a faction like 055 or Rangers, we would be assigned to create a bind. While this still might be done is some capacity, its rare. This could say, "Rangers lead the way!" with an act bind attached. 055 had an Arabic motto and would greet one another with it. Players who spent a little bit of time on the server would eventually learn to salute officers and on Afghan, we would bow. These elements are what make the military base feel like a military base and saluting/bowing is just something that isn't enforced anymore. These small gestures, salutes, mottos, bows, sayings, and small things are what make players feel immersed. At the end of a war in which Afghan won, we would point our guns to the sky and spray into the ceiling in celebration. My point here is that soul like this brings so much more to the server than any addon or additional content could bring and I will die on that hill. 

 

Strategy III:

Before I get into the next section, I would like everyone to take a look at this doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lq6Y9bIgUUng57Sa-J3Yl4_NBd0SW1u_Mfm7kBtDYAU/edit?usp=sharing 

This was created by a Blackguard player back in the day who went above and beyond to create soul. This sheet, despite being made for desert, has a lot of very important things relating to soul. I recently made an announcement that would make Afghan officers host a war-meeting before the main pre-war debrief because of this document. I want to make officers feel like officers and I think small things like this are how we get there. There is a section of this sheet that talks about how Afghan need to utilize strategies and tactics to win wars against a force that outnumbered them 1:2. It talks about spreading out US troops across the map so that it is easier to push into the OBJ. While this might be hard to hear, I truly believe that this is the closest we have ever gotten to real and natural RP on Garnet Gaming. The reason that this type of thing beats out amazing additions like the event server is because the gameplay mechanics at the time literally forced Afghan to use guerilla tactics to win war, simulating real life. Of course, its gmod, and these things aren't replicated perfectly, but the competition of 3 OBJ wars caused players to think, to plan, and to be stronger leaders and officers. PT as a punishment of pitfalls during war is some of the most real RP the server has ever seen and brings the server to life. This is what soul is. You saw planning, you saw strategy, you saw realistic war tactics, and you saw players (for the most part) acting like soldiers. There is only so many times officers can run the same tryout before they are burnt out. Saying, "well just host trainings and tryouts!" is extremely counterproductive to the reintroduction of soul to the server. Officers aren't just tryout bots, they're supposed to be leaders. Leadership includes punishing your troops when they fall short and rewarding them when they go above and beyond. All officers, including myself, need to step it up and bring back an environment in which players feel there is authority on their respective FOBs. Moving on-- 

 

Debriefs & Leadership IV:

Speaking on debriefs and war leading now. When I first joined the server there was nothing more amazing than being led by a confident, organized, and encouraging war lead. War leaders, when assigned, were given supreme authority over the war directives and would take advice from officers. The great part about this is that players respected their war leads and they served as a natural leader for players to look up to. Now, dismissing properly from debrief is rare and we just lack the organization and authority from officers for anyone to care. This needs to change. When I came back to the server a few months ago, it was rare if we got a debrief that was called before the 2:00 minute mark. Pre-war raid debriefs were eliminated and the rp was: Press U -> Type "raid E gate" -> go. Another thing I would like to address in this section is surrendering. This was something that was seen from time to time when a side was being dominated in war. While there are many arguments to be made about why this might be a bad thing, I think that the pros outweigh the cons and I'll explain why. I recently heard that surrendering is now against the rules, as is calling debrief before the war timer ends. I think this is just silly. Surrendering can take away the war for new players is going to be the common argument, but surrendering gives the war lead authority. It gives them a genuine voice and if officers are doing what they should be, surrenders can be actually entertaining and immersive. There used to be a time in which officers would reflect back on the war and either choose to scald or encourage their troops. Troop morale was an actual, real thing on the server and high morale nations heading into war would often dominate. 

Another half to this problem can be attributed to how used to 1 & 2 OBJ wars we are. 1 & 2 OBJ wars absolutely and completely close the door on what the server's war system is supposed to provide for its player base. When wars are three OBJ, war-leads are forced to call rotates, assign OBJs, request status updates, and direct their troops. When wars are 1 & 2 OBJ, the only comms are rare callouts from time to time and war strategy consists of W keying into the objective with no real organization. Now you're thinking: "Well the map is far too big to support constant 3 OBJ wars, especially when the pop is low." and I get that. I understand and I know this is a real obstacle to combatting the existence of 1 & 2 OBJ wars. This leads me to my next part:

 

Soul on the Map V:

The server didn't have a GM team or anyone to really host events, so players found their own ways to stay entertained for peacetime hours. Sometimes this was PT, stealing the green beans, pressing the US base alarm in war room, or stealing the power core. While stealing the core might seem really niche, this was a super common activity of players and was effective in player engagement. It was harmless fucking around and people had great times. We added the power core to Omega base, but the accessibility was not the same as it was in the past. You couldn't run directly from one base to the other fairly easy and grab it quick like you would on desert. The small base design of Afghan base and US base made the bases feel much fuller and the same can be said about objectives. If you are familiar with the cscdesert US base, you'll know the outside area was just a square with a debrief and tent. Most players would be forced to be in the same area which made bases feel much more alive and led to a lot of player interaction. I feel as if the bases and objectives now are far too large, especially for our current player base and I would suggest creating a map very similar in size to desert for a future map iteration. The reason small objectives are good is because it leads to goofy gameplay. COMMs is a great example of this type of combat, and while its nonsensical, it is much more fun to push as a large group into a small objective than clearing all of outside EMB for snipers. COMMs is an iconic objective because of the chaos that ensues when fighting on it. The last thing I'd like to mention is the use of bunks. I believe that when everyone gets matching bunks with no real distinction, its way less interesting than when factions used to choose a random location to have their separate debriefs at. To be clear, this thread isn't designed to advocate for a map change to desert. I would just like to improve what we can without the need of additional addons or content. Soul is a very powerful and important aspect that the server is severely lacking in and there are a number of things we can do, right now, to greatly improve it. 

 

To conclude VI:

I understand that we are under a different player base and things have changed. It doesn't matter. The player base doesn't control your ability to be an officer that understands how to create an immersive environment. Don't make excuses. Sims aren't fun for you or the other guy after you've hosted for the billionth time. Trainings aren't fun for you or the other guy when you've hosted for the billionth time. Switch it up. There is absolutely no reward to being an officer at this moment in time that doesn't include having another primary weapon. Have war-meetings as officers, do PT when its warranted, sing cadences and jog through the map, give warleads power to lead war, and I can guarantee we will grow as a server. I promise you that bringing back soul to MRP is more important than any addon or system could bring us. We are an arcade, semi-serious, MRP server where players can choose the level at which they would like to RP at. As an officer, this excludes you. I'm not asking you to be super serious and strict, I'm asking you to be above the rest of the group and act like an officer would. I'd really like us to get our shit together and revive an environment that players would love to be a part of. We can absolutely do this and I genuinely believe that bringing back soul can bring us to a server that is maxing out in pop. I hope that this thread encourages you to be a better officer no matter what side you are on and these are elements I hope to improve on for Afghan as an officer. 

 

Feel free to ask me any questions.

Thanks,

bishop

Edited March 30, 2023 by Ziggy

[Malek 5]

+1

I really love these ideas , It feels like ur adding more content and story mode into the server without addons or extra files + making it more realistic and less boring for people who play alot and Reigniting that flare of Enjoyment in the server .

No im not gonna call u a nostalgia addict  , this do give good amount of nostalgia for anyone who played Gmod since 2014 and reminds of good times i can't lie

I am ready to do more effort as an officer to do and apply these ideas if it gets approved.

and also thank you for giving me the chance to comment,

Malek

[Ziggy 1,353]

19 hours ago, Malek said:

these ideas if it gets approved.

This isn't a suggestion that someone is going to accept, its something I hope people pay attention to and take something from. 

[wocaoming 1]

 

On 3/29/2023 at 8:06 PM, Ziggy said:

The small base design of Afghan base and US base made the bases feel much fuller and the same can be said about objectives.

On 3/29/2023 at 8:06 PM, Ziggy said:

players would be forced to be in the same area which made bases feel much more alive and led to a lot of player interaction.

 I believe you highlighted a very key issue on the server currently. The difference in gameplay is drastic when you find yourself alone clearing an objective during war or standing in base with only 1 afk in sight, compared to seeing multiple people running in, dying, clearing angles etc. The time when new players join the server and experience their first war is extremally crucial for player retention, and if I place myself into the shoes of a new player I no doubt would find myself immediately logging of if I found myself only surrounded by 2-3 people the whole war defending a desolate objective from nobody.

You brought up another good point about peace time activities, the fact is bases are currently too big in correlation to the player population. This is another great vouch for CS desert as the introduction of gathering hubs for the non-afk players in peacetime is another crucial aspect of player retention. Being able to meet and connect with the people you play with, in contrast to feeling like everyone in war is an NPC is another important aspect.

As veterans a new player myself I hope staff and veterans can try their best to insert themselves into new players shoes and figure out new ways to maintain these people who log in one day and never come back.

Edited April 4, 2023 by wocaoming
:D