- Date: 09/07/2004 | Author: C&C King
It is becoming a painful thorn in the side. It is eating away at the confidence, sheer hard work and determination of the C&C game modifiers. It is grinding and wearing down the sheer fabric of a franchise that’s taken so long to get where it is today. It is the C&C community!
The history of Westwood Studios is all too apparent to many people. As many know after C&C, on went the games, such as Red Alert, Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2. All seemed great! Westwood we’re showing high popularity in their titles and sales we’re increasing steadily. Then After C&C: Renegade, Electronic Arts pull the fast one and landed a take over of Westwood studios completely. They sack many of the staff, and keep the one’s they needed to continue the C&C Franchise. Of which they had really had the rights to since the beginning of EA’s publishing contract with Westwood.
This event is where the C&C community come in. Before EA announced the complete take over, everything was generally fine, there were a small minority that had their problems with C&C games, but as said, only a minority. But once this one single event occurred, things changed. The C&C Community was forced to divide itself. One side was the still loyal fans of C&C who accepted Westwood’s fate to the corporate Electronic Arts. Another side we’re the loyal fans who were hardcore Westwood supporters, who still, almost 2 years on today, are enraged with the anger of the take-over. It is these people who are in many eyes of the other fans, will not accept fate. Even though they can be considered rebels with a cause, they cannot register that their demonstrations are completely futile. They announce attempts to boycott EA by not buying EA games. They are then instantly and usually unconsciously contradicting their own selves. For example they will buy the next copy of NBA Jam or SSX on a games console. But despite this “grudge” they would be open to the C&C modding community to keep the Westwood dream alive. These two types of the divide are what I consider the Democrats and Republicans of the C&C Community.
But there is a third type. A hostile type, and in my opinion it’s an ever growing minority who seem to speak their mind, and act aggressively towards other people who do not agree with their own ideals. This ever increasing group are the one’s shouting the loudest, and spreading their views like propaganda. I consider these people to be creating their own C&C fascism or communism, as they show no respect whatsoever for those of us in the community who run our so-called C&C Democracy. Both these groups have their own type of COC, or “Chain Of Command.” These come in 3 types (from lowest up). The Forum posters, The online players, and at the top, the modders!
C&C COMMUNISM
The far left C&C Communists are those who are in the majority of this third group. They are those people who hate EA the most. they were and still are in strong belief of Westwood remaining whole. They despise C&C Generals and will continue to do so with every other EA game in the future since the shocking take-over. In the “COC” Their forum posters are somewhat stubborn. Like communism they wish to take over and consume the minds and opinions of people. An example are views that the next Lord Of The Rings game by EA will be Rubbish, even though they have not seen it. They will also target certain mods or total conversions they also believe to be rubbish.
The games player of the C&C communist party is certainly an unusual one. If you are on their team, like a communist they will suck you in, and make you believe that you are a team player, and will most probably recommend you or ally with you. But if you do one thing wrong, no matter how minor, they will chew you up and spit you out. They will turn against you, or !n00b you in a game. These such people should be avoided at all costs.
The final group are at the top of the pecking order, these are the game modders. They are Generally the quietest of the aggressive part of the community as they only flame others once they are flamed themselves. If such a thing happens they find it impossible to back down with their arguments and will not stop until they are sure of winning.
C&C FASCISM
The far right C&C fascists are not a group to be ignored, these are the downright most arrogant of the C&C Community. Like the Democracy some either hate EA or don’t, but they are intent on their ideals only. They believe that their opinions are always more true than fact itself, and will turn against absolutely anyone who will not follow them.
Their forums posters are the one’s who do the dirty work. For example, once they have played the “best” mod for a particular C&C game they will stick with that mod and support it all the way. Making claims that any other modification is not worthy of release. They will also take the wrong end of the stick in any forum and turn against people they don’t even know. Launching unprovoked attacks on other innocent forum posters.
The games player will generally work alone or in small groups, and will usually be part of a clan. They will make claim that they are the best player around, and will demonstrate this by exploiting bugs or cheating their way to victory. They will flame other’s beyond the limits of un-acceptable language, and will also be a part of the community forums doing just the same. These players are to be kicked or banned when encountered.
At present point in time there is only really two or so of the fascist modders about, but these are becoming more common as more mods are released. These modders will usually carry out the role of a forum poster. But many will choose to remain out of public games, instead opting for the safer, less hassle free environment of IRC chat.
HOW ARE THESE GROUPS KILLING C&C?
The so-called Commies and Fascists are killing C&C by slagging it off indirectly. By cursing EA, and the mod makers, and people in general. What example does this give to new people joining this community when they see this? Many would be horrified to buy past games like Tiberian Sun, or C&C: Generals, they go online to find a community site and then run into these idiots! The new person is going to freak out, aren’t they? And will probably take the game back even though they like it because a stupid majority in a forum says it’s a load of crap!
Not only will this kill off the community, it’ll kill off C&C! I’ve seen it happen with Renegade. People taking it back because a lot of people in this very community have branded it crap! This is despite the fact that they love the game! Community opinion means a lot to the new people of the C&C community, and it’s these idiots who scare them away again! I posted the following in the CNC Den comments page under the new Lord Of The Rings RTS about people calling the game crap….
“That’s what makes me laugh, you slag off a game, call it crap, and you aint even played it. So Why The F*** are you moaning for? It makes no logical sense.. Is it because your computer specs are too low for it? Or do you just have a bad case of verbal diarrhoea? I wasn’t interested in this game until I saw the E3 video and I was converted. Perhaps you should all watch this b4 making a preview judgement!!
I have confidence in this game. This could become the best RTS in history, then again it may not, but for god’s sake people keep an open mind on everything until you’ve played it. And when you do don’t just call it crap, give a damn reason, and not just cos u suck at it!!!
I thought I knew this community… you all used to be so level headed. Now alot of you are just becoming a bunch of assholes!! Use your brains for once in your lives… you know… that thing inside your thick skull!!”
Unfortunately the majority of this community is beginning to tick me off with the meaningless comments and pointless ramblings. What’s even worse some of these are coming from veterans of the C&C community who help run web-sites, make maps, and have even created one of the biggest C&C total conversions ever!
Standing by the people who like to expand on C&C games should be the way to do things, not make them feel small. If you don’t like a mod, by all means give critical feedback, but don’t flame it to a point of purposelessness! The unfortunate fact these days is that only a small amount of people in the C&C community can give constructive critical comments. Comments that will provide a useful means to improve a mod or a game further. Useless ramblings mean nothing to these people other than the pain of being told that they’re useless after putting every ounce of time into their work!
If this idiotic part of the C&C community cannot provide constructive critical arguments and just decide to ramble on and flame… then I’d prefer that you were not part of the C&C community. Go on, get lost! You are wasting the time of those who have respect for the long hours people put into their games whether it’s playing online, modding, or something as simple as a forum post. I don’t want to see you around here anymore if you are gonna be a C&C Commie or Fascist.
I am not a person to shun the community, even though from this article, it may definitely seem like it. I aim to help those in the community that attempt to provide a service. Only in the last week a small amount of RenAlert Servers had appeared on the RenAlert server list. Upon further insight into the staff who run them I found out they were a small group of people who were looking for expansion and recognition, and were looking for staff to make their own maps for RenAlert to put into their own server rotation.
Due to the apparent professional nature of the Abumm servers and their staff, I agreed to help them. First by advertising their presence on the RenAlert server list, and then announcing their need for staff. What happened in the next week or so was totally beyond their expectations. Because their current hosts would not accept PHP forums, CNCNZ.com offered them out of the blue, forums to work with right here. With these people like all people in the community, I like to give them a little word I call “Respect.”
I hold RESPECT for people and welcome this community with open arms. I’m fully supporting this group of people who run the Abumm servers on Renegade Alert, which has meant that the whole of CNCNZ.com has as well. I’m also in the process of making discussions about their web-space and made them aware that it may be possible for them to join the CNCNZ.com network. This is something I find rewarding, because it’s great to help people. That’s right, I help the community and show them the RESPECT they deserve. But when people like the community commies and fascists come along, and they throw that respect back in my face then I will flame them and I will not back down lightly. That’s why I’m writing this article.
Days before releasing this article I’m causing a stir in forums, becoming myself a Community freedom fighter. I’m defending those who do not deserve the flaming and the negative comments, and I’m attacking those who dare fight back against my cause! I’m not standing for this behaviour no more. If people are not going to show the respect for others, then it’s my turn to stand up and deliver how I feel about this rude, barbaric attitude towards others.
CONCLUSION
I admit if Electronic Arts do not get off their asses and do some concept work at least, Command & Conquer is going to become a retro game franchise, which did not deserve a painful death. The community will definitely accelerate this death through the over-use of words like “crap”, “rubbish” and any other negative comments. How else are we gonna make new fans of C&C with that language going around.
I have attacked the community on this level to say that the divide is too great. We have been split by the belief that C&C games are doomed and that it’s EA’s fault. But C&C will only die, once we let it die. We all need to come together, set differences aside… let us take credit to the brotherhood of Nod. “One vision, one purpose.”
But if C&C is to die, we should not abandon hope. Take a look at C&C: Crimson Dawn and think what that could give us, Maybe our only way forward is to make the games ourselves. Encourage those modders that are new to the scene and respect the likes of C&C: Reborn as well as the ever popular game, RenAlert. The life and soul of C&C and the community lies within the community itself. We are the core, the heart, the one thing that gives life to this highly successful franchise. If we stay divided, and continue to flame and rubbish our fellow community, then C&C and the whole community will die together. Thus we will see the end. C&C fan-sites like CNCNZ.com will disappear and we will experience a C&C Armageddon! This my C&C community is far from where we want to end up, I’m sure you’ll agree!