2013 BF3

[Phatso]

To address the first matter at hand, I said I would like to try the recruitment thang 6 days ago. In 6 days I have had to deal with a lot kak at work and personal life and planned and arranged an engagement party. Takes a lot out of a man. Apologies I haven't had time to put together a plan. The next leg starts 2013, that gives us a little bit of time to play with. Remember though, its not just us that are burnt out on BF3. A lot of players are taking a sabbatical now.
(in the same breath however, you can't leave it to last minute)

We cannot commit to a goal like "2 teams competing" if we have 12, maybe 14 guys TOTAL playing BF3. Its a very tall order. I also didn't have a cooking clue that I wasn't the only one pulling out and it hurts even more to see a large piece of the core 2012 team have to pull out. Everyone has their reasons of course, but I just had no idea it was such a large amount of players..

Lets put our cards out shall we? To be brutally honest with you, I posted my sob story for all to bare. It hurt me a lot to step down from comp gaming. I suggested that I wanted to try help wherever possible in getting some new talent in here. NOT ONE PERSON commented. I didn't know until Duck's thread popped up with my name in it. Ok, I would've liked a bit of a convo of sorts before settling in to look after the future recruitments of the clan.. but anyways, challenge accepted.

1. [grrr] pubs BF3 and spots some talent. Recruitment officer given players details.(its important that the comp team spot this talent, they know what is required to be talented)
2. [grrr] invites said player to the forums/shoutbox.
3. If the player obliges, quick sanity check and we invite said player to Mumble.
4. If the player obliges, skill level is assessed critically on the battlefield. Pub or comp, whichever a truer reflection.
5. If the player shows talent, recruitment officer will have a sensitizing chat in a private mumble channel. Think of this as an interview. (process TBD)
6. If the chat goes well, the "forum-30-questions-process" begins and is done in 5 days MAXIMUM. ``(although a great way to get people to post on the forum, the original reason was to actually get to know the guy more, not to ask him if he understands hypothetical quadrangular astrophysics and whether he is willing to sleep with Mila Kunis if she was a man)
7. Brief discussion to be held with recruitment officer, BF3 captain and Clan leader.
8. Player must show interest and keep active on forums and mumble in order to remain a candidate.
9. Within 10-14 days, player is invited to join grrr.
10. [grrr] members chatting and playing with the player provide feedback to recruitment officer every week for a month.
11. Player passes "initiation phase" and is now one of us.

Or we can scrap the entire thing and simply ask guys to come fill in some [s]ir[/s]relevant questions to get to know them and then invite them after a month?

Steph, I am glad you are getting vocal dude, its on peoples minds and needs to be said. Hooah to having the balls. You may strike a nerve here or there, but its needed.

If you want a team practicing in the next month for next year's DGL, its going to take a lot more than just one guy recruiting 20 hot shots.

(also, don't talk horseshit about yourself. you are the captain. you have what it takes in the right amounts. we wouldn't have succeeded as we did without your guidance)

[Thor_23]

Hey Hube's,

I am with Dry on this.
I think you are being a bit hasty on this?

We have barely got the plans for the future out, no offence bit even though you think we might need 2 years to get where we want to be, where I dont think that is the case . At least give us a shot, I dont think a week is much to work with?

One thing you are forgetting is that grrr has been arround for ages and due to this has ties almost everywhere and if we want to step up the recruitment at a faster pace, we most propably can.....

my 2c

[SlipperyDuck]

Good on yer chaps. This (post rage) period is always the hardest to get things going and it becomes difficult to get people to post on the forum let alone commit to anything @ all.
But, I do agree, we need to do something. Personally, I would love to be part of the Team, but I am quite honest with myself in that there will be too much else to do for the Clan in other areas that will both benefit the Team and the Clan as a whole in the coming months.

I totally agree with Phatso's approach, we all need to keep a keen eye out for Talent and not just let it sit on his shoulders entirely to recruit people, that said, we haven't even had the opportunity to have our First Admin meeting to discuss idea's/problems and ways to move ourselves forward. Hells, we haven't even given Phatso the opportunity to fully accept or decline this role.

It's really good that we have this as a HOT first Topic of our discussions, it gives us time to think about it, process some ideas and suggestions internally to voice at our meeting. Just want to re-iterate what others have said, let's not get too ahead of ourselves and give ourselves a thumbs down before we even start, the season starts in 2013 which is a ways off and whilst there is a general slow-down post rage every year, we still have some activity and best of all, opportunity to sort our shit out before it's a problem.

I prefer the blunt throw downs anyway Hub, 90% of the time a hard kick up the Arse is the only way to get anything going in this place, but we do actually all care about it one way or the other, so the blatant in your face hard talk is often the only way to get responses. I hear you too, you've done your bit as Captain for the year, you did a grrrreat job, a couple of us have been there too and we can definitely talk about handing over the mantle to some other poor soul in Sundays Meet, or not.

A lot to discuss this coming meeting. MeLikes.

Stay Calm, Purge Heretics. Win.

[Hubris]

Phats I'm really not taking a swipe at you dude I'm sorry if it came out that way, what I'm saying is we just can't seem to get this competitive thing going and I'm tired and frustrated - we all are: admins, players, members, friends and even the bot guests. I thought the recruitment thing had been discussed with you, sorry to force it on you but you are the best man for the job. You're right, it hurts not to have support and I'm sorry I didn't support you enough in what is a very hard choice to make.

Your plan is really good, I like it and I think it addresses everything, I just don't have faith. I have no faith that people will be online, that we will engage with new players properly, that we will do what is needed to make the process a success. I dunno maybe I do have post rAge depression, but the problem isn't your plan its that I feel like the whole scene is dying in grrr. Battlefield is our only competitive game and we only have sevenish people interested in it. It makes my balls shrink.

Yes I'm sure I've pissed a couple people off lol and I'll probably continue doing so... I have been quite moody about this for a long time and its affecting me! I'm worried about the future and I want to do something about it. I'm totally with you though man, one guy cannot drive the recruitment process and make miracles. We as a community need to get involved and make schmidt happen or it just won't deliver what we want. I back you though, you're a pretty magical dude as it is ^bromance?^.

Time is precious. Four new guys at least, completely new dynamic, forging a team (or two), taking it up against Season 2 competitors? Sure a lot of other teams will have changes, but they're already making offers and practicing. I'm not blaming the guys who have retired, we must all do whats right for us, I'm just pointing out the challenge ahead of us, the fact that we are not ready for it and the fact that I can't make it work myself - I am a massive n00bcake at this and captainship is a lot harder than I feared.

Thanks for the votes of confidence guys, but ya. I can normally just go with the flow and be positive about things, but I can also be a really destructive person if I'm not. grrr has been good to me, I don't want to start snapping at people in mumble and causing big issues in the clan or personally because I'm unhappy. If we're going to stick with a casual outlook, I believe it is better if I leave guys to do that without me one way or another so I don't get seriously bitchy about it.

Cronos I knew you would chip in and call me to order :P You're right I am speculating and it is some time in the future, but I'm not saying I want to leave because I don't think we have a shot as team. We have good players, but that's never been the problem. If grrr could take it to the big boys like I see other clans doing, wow, force to be reckoned with. I just don't get the sense that we want that. I hope you're right dude and we can pull some strings, we need xpd guys to fill big boots.

Anyways thinking on your comments, I'm trying to say is that grrr is a very well run democracy. Our vision is an expression of what we as a community want. I fully support Ducky as clan leader and I like the gaming lifestyle concept because it is the way to go, but I feel like what we want and what we do is compromising what we need to succeed. The two can work so well together and feed off each other, but if we neglect what it means to be a clan we're just a social network (and vice versa)

Gaming is a passion, our community is a passion, we need to learn to run both at once and Paul is useless to me after I threw him in the pool (jj you're my hero). We have to want the challenge and we have to want to win. To do that we need members to replenish the ranks or its not worth the hours for anyone serious about ripping throats. Lol Ducky, I'll try remain calm, wise words dudemaster thanks for that I needed it. Give me some heretics to purge boss!! *foams at the mouth*

[NiteShade]

Don't beat yourself up, Hubris. You did a kick ass job as captain this past year and big kudos to you for that. I know I haven't been 'around much' but I've always checked in on the website and kept tabs on things going on. I wasn't vocal, but I dd not feel a need to as I really think you had things under control. Grrr would never have gotten as far as they did this year without you being captain. I think this might have been overlooked in the whole rAge weekend extravaganza... but I am sure I can speak for grrr when I say... Thank You, Job well done!

Furthermore, it is your RIGHT to voice these opinions and I am glad you did. Take my advice and speak whateva you feel.

With that being said, I would commit to playing competitively if we had a committed team. The reason we struggled with a 2nd team was lack of commitment. I cannot stand that. Been there, done that.

I know I am not the most skilled player in grrr, but if I commit I do it with all my heart. I will commit my time if you stay on as Captain, Hubris. If you quit now, I cannot see myself committing totally. To be blatantly obvious, this is how much I respect your leadership.

So... let me know if you need another minion!

[Hubris]

Thanks Sheri, but seriously everyone has been very kind to me about this year. I did have a hell of a lot of help and that got us to rAge. To a large extent I was just along for the ride, kicking and screaming every now and then. That's why I say I don't mind stepping down, because I think there are guys here who have more experience and would do a better job alone than I could. I feel exactly the same way as you, I'm willing to sink stupid hours into playing with grrrs, but if the heart for a competitive experience isn't there I just won't do it. Every name counts, don't sell yourself short I am told you were the best COD captain in the world, I know you've schooled all of us a plenty and any skill is a result of playing time.

[Paul]

Ok so I think everyone has had their say and now is the time for a plan of action or this stuff will still just hang in the air and the frustions will continue.

So

1. Staff meeting this sunday at 8pm so we can finalise how we are going to get the team replenished and ready for next year
2. Phatso your plan of action is hundreds, please can everyone spot for peeps that could join and pass the details onto Phatso
3. We need a go/no go date, this can be discussed at the meeting but I say if by 1 December we see we are not making head way then we can decide on whether competitive gaming is for us or not, Hubris will then have all the information to decide his future with grrr


Personally Hubris I would be kak sad to see you go, you are a great player and you piss me off the least in this clan. But at the same time I understand you want to acheive something and if the enviroment is not condusive to that, then it will do more harm to everyone to carry on. But like everyone has said, lets not quiet before we have even started.

[RussianElite.]

My ADSL only got installed this Wednesday again. I'l be rollin smokin and poonin.. except maybe for the smokin part :P I'm very excited and serious about the upcoming DGL season. It's the main driving force behind me getting ADSL and playing online. I live for the competitive gaming scene and will help where I'm needed and can to hold our virtual trophy in our virtual hands my captain

[J_Th4ng]

Wow, a couple of weeks of heavy work commitment, and I pretty much miss all of this. Sorry I haven't put my thoughts forward before, I've been through a mad period at work, and just keeping up with reading the forums has been about as much as I could do. Anyway, I'm back now, have read the relevant threads, and have some thoughts to add.

I have been grrr for about 6 years now, and it's a group that adds more to my life than anyone who's not in grrr could possibly understand. You lot here are my extended family, my friends, and the people that I care about and most want to spend time with than anyone else other than my direct family.

Okay, sob story and 'I love you all' out of the way. Understand that my priority is not the competitiveness of the clan, and the focus on getting the best players in so that we can do better in next years DGL. My drive is in keeping this great group of guys and gals together, and maintaining the great friendships that I've established over the last 6 years.

With that in mind, and givn the commitment that has been shown, how much of a desire is there (throughout the clan, not just amongst the hyper competitive players) of maintaining a top tier competitive clan?

Personally, I'd be worried if we were to recruit 10 players over the next 3 months. I would be most concerned that the identity of what makes us grrr would be watered down, and the focus would shift to competitiveness before anything else. And as far as I see things, that's just not the way that we are.

Even looking back at how this clan was founded, it was about a couple of guys that put tags on to let the community know 'hey, we're mates'. And since those days, becoming grrr was always about personality, not ability. It's about having the biggest party at rAge every year, getting everyone to fly down to Cape Town to celebrate 3 of us turning 40, playing a great variety of games with friends, watching epic videos every year, having regular meets, braais and get togethers, and being known as the cool kids of the BF community.

Do we really want to change this? My answer is quite simply 'no'. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on this before embarking on a recruitment campaign in order to bring mercs (that's what any hastily implemented, ability based recruitment will result in) into the family that I care about.

It may well be that the majority of the clan support this move. If so, I'll deal with it. But can we at least have a vote on this before implementing a philosophical change to the nature of the clan?

To Steff - Man, I can appreciate your feelings on this. You are a guy that's all about the competition, about ability and proving yourself in the DGL, striving to achieve to the pinnacle of your ability. As sad as it makes me to say this, you might be better served in looking elsewhere if that's what you're after. Don't get me wrong, I'd be incredibly sad to see you go - after all, your soul screams grrr. But from where I'm sitting, the majority of people in this clan aren't as committed to the competitive scene as your are. We're about gaming. Pure, fun gaming. Shouting at each other on mumble, talking shit, and blowing shit up. Not that this attitude can't be combined with a competitive spirit, I just don't know how committed the people that we have here are. From the poll, there are less than a full team of players worth of people that really want to commit.

[RussianElite.]

To recruit just enough players like 2 or 3 so we can have atleast a full 1st team and later worry about fulling a second. To me I dont see a problem getting together a 1st team at all. The challenge will be in getting up the second team which will require some recruiting. Getting like minded members will take priority ofcourse but I'm sure with our recruiting techniques we shouldnt have a problem in filling the ranks with the right members. I myself cant foresee this clan being competitive at anything at all without Steff in the short to long term. We need our captain, no questions asked!