Newsletter May Newsletter

[Quaffer]

May I depart from the typical EdgeGamers-centric intro? Why, yes, I may. I spend some time on other community forums and I came across a thread I got a huge kick out of. The title was about improving the gaming experience and I can boil it down to something the poster repeated time and again: "Don't be a jerk." I found this in a forum where being a troll is an art form. We may think of ourselves as the last bastion of civility, but have hope. This whole respect thing has a wider audience than you may think.

This month we have a few articles I would like to single out for special attention. Old-timers may remember FluffyTDestroyer and DirtyDeets who were once division leaders of DoD. They are publishing a new game called Second Coming. Our Operation: X section features special guest reporter St0rmy, and he is reporting on Garry’s Mod. I would also ask that all of you read the Battlefield article from wewo. This Battlefield is one any of us may come to face. Finally, this month we start a new recurring column titled "Guns and Grenades", as reported by Blaze. His focus this month is on grenades and how they have been around a lot longer than most of us realize.

Quaffer​

The Newsletter Team would like to extend its condolences to my long time friend, Bruce Lee, and his wife. They recently lost their 5-month old son. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

wewo​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2594997"]

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We've been visited by creatures from the beyond our gravity well. They have taught us much, but are we ready for [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2594997"]the Second Coming[/link]?


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2594998"]

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The Personnel Service Center is rolling out two new programs. [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2594998"]Don't miss out on the fun[/link].


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595000"]

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Medic! No seriously medic. EdgeGamers has a man down in Hawaii. Pardon our departure from the game news while we honor [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595000"]one of our own[/link].


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595001"]

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Day of Defeat let's you decide on the rotation. Then take a peak at [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595001"]who is dominating[/link].


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595002"]

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There are a lot of games in the spotlight on Minecrafts Plot World. [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595002"]Who ended up on the cutting edge[/link]?


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595003"]

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Operation: X has a special guest reporter this month. If St0rmy gives you the dossier can you solve the mystery of [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595003"]Terror Town[/link]?


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595005"]

[/link]

Team Fortress 2 has a lot of changes this month. [link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595005"]Can you talk the talk[/link]?


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595006"]

[/link]

Blaze has some special insights to share on those pesky balls of death. But first we're going back.
[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142#post2595006"]Way back[/link].




This months newsletter was edited by Blaze, and wewo. Please thank them.

This month Quaffer did the art. Don't let this happen again.

The Newsletter Team is looking for editors and an additional artist. If you are interested, and qualified (we know you can do better than Quaffer) please send a pm to Quaffer or wewo.

 

[Quaffer]

By Jay_Jay

Once in a blue moon a great story lead comes along. What better story could one find than that of FluffyTDestroyer & DirtyDeets, former Division Leaders of Day of Defeat, making a video game? Years in the making, Second Coming started as a tabletop RPG that was published in 2006. But our two veteran online gamers could not let it stop there. Second Coming is evolving into a video game.

To give you some background info on the plot we have to first understand that Second Coming: The Annakazi Invasion is meant to be a stand-alone game. There are plans on creating the Second Coming Universe which will be a defining title for a number of games in the series. This series will be the timeline for Second Coming.

The Annakazi Invasion is a battle in which feuding human factions must become allies to fight off an alien race known as the Annakazi. It starts with Earth’s first contact with an alien race , the Cilonians. They arrive wanting peace and the opportunity to trade technology. This allows humans to colonize space. Competition for resources on neighboring planets has brought Global War. Nuclear strikes have decreased earth’s population significantly and left thirty percent of the Earth uninhabitable. Colonies on the Moon and Mars have seceded from the UN Council the solar system is now a war zone.

In the darkest hour of humanity comes the warning.

The Annakazi, an unknown race, are invading.

Now, that all sounds exciting and I’m sure you’re all ready to sink your teeth into this new title. The game is still under development and Fluffy & Deets need your help to complete it. You can help out in the following ways:

- Spread the word about Second Coming to your friends and any other clans you might be affiliated with.

- Contribute much needed funds at the IndieGoGo campaign for Second Coming. All contributing members of EdgeGamers will be given a new member medal as show of appreciation, which will be displayed on your profile in the forums. Perks are also available for contributions made on IndieGoGo. See the campaign for details.

- Give the title your approval on Steam Greenlight.

I’ll leave you with a short interview I conducted with Deets. For more info on the game be sure to visit the dedicated forum space for the game which can be found here. Until next time!


Q: Thanks for the opportunity to talk, Deets. Your project having a Sci-Fi direction is an interesting concept that has been used many times before. What makes Second Coming different?

A: Many other Science Fiction games have been put out over the years, but, in Second Coming - The Annakazi Invasion, we give the users a small glimpse inside a pivotal point in the 'history' of the Second Coming universe. In the single-player campaign, the player goes through a series of campaigns. Each campaign, the player plays as a different historical figure, each with several battles to fight through.

In the multi-player, You will have the ability to select a map from the single player campaign, as well as which two capital ships will be pitted against each other. From there, the ships will spawn in random locations around the campaign map. It is up to the fighter pilots to scout out where the enemy fleet is, report back, and lead their team's attack.

Q: Why the Sci-Fi genre?

A: Fantasy and modern warfare are great, and we have some interesting plans for future games in those genres, but how many ways can we reinvent the goblin...or the knight... With SciFi, the future is open to limitless possibilities, besides, why play on one world when there's a whole Galaxy to work with!

Q: What have been your inspirations for pursuing such a project?

A: The concept of the Second Coming universe is probably older than most of our younger members. It initially was a 20 page game than friends and I came up with after getting bored with other tabletop RPGs. After playing it a while, I took the ball and ran with it. Over the years, the game evolved into the release of the 1st Edition of the RPG in 2006. Since then, I have pursued a degree in Game Software Development and became a Team Lead/Project Manager at IBM. I have been with IBM four years now, but have focused ALL of my spare time, energy, and money (much to Fluffy's dismay) on development of Modern Paradise Media and to development of PC games like SC:TAI.

Q: Can we expect sequels if the first title is successful?

A: Expansions are already in the planning stages and we have six other games in early development, many of which are expanding on the Second Coming Universe. There's a LOT more to the story than HOW this happened, and we have excitingly unique ways to tell it.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By Insomnia Princess

We have several things to report about the PSC Division this month. Blindy stepped down after two years as a Division Leader. We thank him again for his dedication and service to eGO and the PSC, and we wish him the best.

PSC Leadership also announced the promotion of imak to PSC Advisor. imak has served the PSC as both a processor and trainer. Drew-X is now a PSC Trainer, helping lead and train new members of the PSC.

Recently, PSC also launched two new exciting programs: PSC Recruiting and NME (New Member Experience). While the NME was delayed slightly to ensure a strong and positive launch, you will see and hear more about this program in the coming weeks and months.

The NME is focused on recruiting and fostering quality members, building members holistically, and understanding where our growth comes from to ensure we have long-lasting, solid members of eGO. This program is expected to help increase retention of new members and support new members on a global scale.

The PSC Recruiting Team had a fun and exciting month visiting some of the different divisions in their Invasions. PSC Invasions are visits from PSC recruiting team members with two major goals in mind:

1. Bridging the gap between divisions and creating synergy within eGO on a global scale; and

2. Teaching and supporting recruiting on a global scale with a focus on quality > quantity.

Players from all divisions are invited to these Invasions, not just members of the host division. This a great chance to get to know your fellow members and also to check out a new game with eGO. If the PSC has not yet invaded your division, keep an eye out for them soon and be sure to support them by showing up when you can.

As a friendly reminder, the PSC is looking for new processors. If you're interested in joining, contact one of the PSC Advisors below for an application. PSC is only accepting eG and eGO ranks at this time.

oey192
XxDoomxX
imak​

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By wewo

"Aloha"... Began a post in the Battlefield division forums which caught my attention last month (Read it here). See, it was a post in the name of 808-State3, a popular eGO member. However, this post was written by 808-Stat3's wife, Malia. She related to us that on January 17, 2014, Kilea (808's RL name) was in a car accident in his home state of Hawaii; his car was struck by a drunk driver at approximately 70 MPH. 808 sustained injuries to his head, spine and hip, and had fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

For those who do not know 808, he is an eGO ranked member in the Battlefield Division. He unselfishly shares his talent as an artist by making signatures and avatars for any eGO member who asks (he estimated that he has created 300 sigs, wallpapers and avatars for eGO members). 808 shared his thoughts on eGO with me: "eGO has shown me so much respect and love that I know that this world is filled with good people and I am honored and proud to be able to call myself ‘eGO’".

In RL he is just as selfless. He is a corrections officer in the Hawaii prison system, teaches a knife self-defense class, has served in the United States armed forces, and has even founded a "Homeless Feeding - Eat Daily" event. He and Malia also have four children.

Kilea's unfortunate accident occurred on his way home from a training seminar. He lives his life with the motto, "What type of man is a man who won't try to make this world a better place?". Ironically, the drunk driver is presently housed in the correctional facility where Kilea is employed.

Malia initially posted because she understood Kilea’s fondness for eGO and merely wanted to inform us of his situation and ask that we pray for him. eGO members responded in droves, with more than 100 posts from every division and every level of eGO, from =(e)= to Artimus, offering prayers, best wishes, and support.

About a week after her first post, Malia reported that Kilea had overcome his head trauma and was healing. Always positive and thinking of others before himself, Kilea had read our posts and asked Malia to pass on this message: "Tell em 808-State will be back in no time. Avatars and Wallpapers like never seen before since I'll have a lot of time when I get out of this hospital”.

After reading nearly 100 posts, Malia was overwhelmed, writing, "I am stunned to know that my husband is associating with such great people online." Although Kilea was unable to surf the web on his own, Malia printed out the thread and showed the responses to him. She described his reaction. "Kilea was moved and had a few tears rolling down his face when I showed him the print-outs from your post."

However, Malia also provided a scary update. More than a month after the accident, Kilea was still undergoing a high number of risky and important surgeries. His healing process had slowed down due to the severe injuries he sustained during his accident and the effect of his medications. The doctors feared that he might have damaged several nerves and important structures in his hip. Despite his severe injuries, Kilea wanted to get on the forums, but his condition would not allow it.

At the time I read her post (in late March) it had been nearly a month and Malia had not updated the thread. Thus, it was with great trepidation that I asked SuperJ569 whether he had an update or not. He did not. However, on April 8, 2014 this post, entitled "Aloha Gentlemen !" was posted by none other than Kilea himself! 808-Stat3 is back and is recovering from his injuries. Kilea is presently in physical therapy. With his positive attitude, his drive, and our prayers, I have no doubt that Kilea will fully recover and be an even better person for it.

Aloha and mahalo.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By flamelauncher11

In a division occupied by war, one would believe there wouldn’t be time for all the extras that the Day of Defeat: Source division has in store! Flamelauncher11 here to bring the EdgeGamers community the latest, most exciting news on your favorite divisions, programs, and members. This month, I will cover the infamous Day of Defeat division -- the first eGO division ever to hit the battlefield.

Vote for Rotation Server

World War II is winding down as the Axis and Allied powers battle it out to the death in a series of locations across the European continent. From Anzio to Vallente, many men risk their lives to protect those of their country, but there’s one small thing missing; in order to finish this war, there’s one key location that neither power has found yet, and it’s up to you to determine that location. Hop on over to the Day of Defeat: Source divisional discussion threads to vote for the map that YOU want to see added to the rotation server, then join your battle buddies as you make that last charge to victory… or defeat.

Vote here.

Rank Annihilation

The Day of Defeat divisional leadership’s Rank Annihilation contest is coming to an end (just like World War II) as many DoD:S members fight to dominate each other on the battlefield. The winners have just been announced. Bigbas dominated the Kalt and Rotation servers, logging in the most time filling servers, and earning him a Razer Carcharias gaming Headset. In the domination contest it was theMasterChief805 coming out on top with a total of 600 points, including twelve dominations on Advisors and seventeen on Council members.; winning a choice between a Razer DeathStalker and a Razer DeathAdder. Second place went to Habsfan, with 451 domination points in his favor. Following them were Immortal Technique, DJ TTK, and Superglue. The Smurfs even earned a prize for the most suicides. . Be sure to check out the Annihilation thread for more details.

Read about it here.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By Insomnia Princess

Minecraft Plot World Build Contest

The Minecraft Division had their first-ever Plot World Build Contest in March and the theme was “Video Games”. To enter, all you had to do was purchase a plot and then follow the theme to earn a chance to win a rare in-game item.

All entrants had to do was create a structure based on a video game (other than Minecraft) within their allocated plot space. They were also permitted to give an explanation of their structure along with their entry on the forums. Restrictions were as follows: May only use Wool, Stained Clay, Stained Glass.

Entrants were allowed to use torches to light their structures appropriately. The contest was a great success with some fantastic video-game themed entries. Gypsy did a Dragon Warrior theme, Orton1 picked Space Invaders, and Killer_Duckie chose Second Coming in honor of Dirty Deets’s new game.

We saw a Flappy Birds entry from LA_Arctic and Chrono Trigger from vamstyle. Flamelauncher11 and seelytaylor brought us some Mario Bros. and icydud represented with Pokemon. Anyone is able to walk around the plot area and see the builds, even if they are not participating in the contest. While there were many great entries, there could be only one grand prize winner.

Congratulations to Nailer134 for being the winner of one week of Dedicated Supporter and a Sponge (rare in-game item).

Ill Legend announced the winner in the Minecraft Division forums:

“On winning our Video Games Build Contest. His Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda was chosen by USCG Hammer as the best of all submissions. Nailer will now be the proud owner of an exceedingly rare sponge in game.

Daft Punk's rendition of Super Mario Bros and LA_Arctic's Flappy Bird Failure earned honorable mentions in the contest. Both players will receive a shiny item in-game for their efforts.”

Stay tuned to the Minecraft forums for upcoming Plot World Build Contests as well as weekly events and more.

Did you have a favorite entry in the Plot World Build Contest? Post in this thread to let us know.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By St0rmy
(special guest reporter)

Garry’s Mod (G-Mod) started off as a player-made mod that allowed gamers to explore everything that Valve’s Source engine had to offer. The chaos and excitement of the original mod is still very much alive in the current iteration of G-mod. Luckily, the years have been good to the game and players are now treated to a nicer interface, simplified add-on installation, and a plethora of game modes to explore. The Op:X Division recently launched eGO’s first G-Mod server after repeated requests from members representing a wide breadth of divisions.

Our server hosts the game mode Trouble in Terrorist Town (TTT). TTT is as much a mind game as it is a game of skill. The game mode has three teams chosen at random while players must still interact with each other as fellow terrorists. The first role is a single player designated as the Detective. The Detective has access to a special menu where unique weapons and tools can be acquired to root out the second group of players—the Traitors. Traitors cannot exceed 25% of the team. However, Traitors have access to a special menu of unique items that must be used to accomplish their goals of killing “innocent” terrorists and causing other mayhem, like planting bombs. The last and largest group of players are the Innocents. Innocents are your average terrorists who have to avoid being killed by Traitors and stop Traitors from planting bombs without the special designation or tools given to the Detective. The difficulty and fun of TTT is carrying out your objective as a Detective, Traitor, or Innocent while simply trying to convince your friends that you’re on their side (even if you’re not) while doing the most important thing--staying alive.

G-mod is a unique video game experience that will make you giggle like a schoolgirl in glee or punch straight through your monitor in frustration (also like a schoolgirl). Fortunately, TTT captures both extremes of G-Mod and will likely leave you laughing hysterically while breaking expensive electronic equipment in the process. Whether you are new or experienced in G-Mod and TTT, we are confident you will enjoy our new server...especially if you play with friends in Teamspeak.

Server info:

24/7 =(eGO)=|GarrysMod|TTT|www.edge-gamers.com
IP: 174.36.42.207:27016

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By Insomnia Princess

Fun things have been happening in the Team Fortress 2 Division over the past month and you can look forward to some exciting events in the coming weeks as well.

First, you may have noticed a few changes in the servers. The all-talk threshold plugin has been added to 2Fort, Dustbowl, Harvest, Payload, and Valve Maps. When the total player count on the server is below the threshold, all-talk will be on automatically. When the player count rises above the threshold, it will return to team-talk only.

Valve Maps has been changed to no crits/no spread and 2Fort now has a faster respawn (NOT instant respawn). Finally, the Instagib server will be removed, based on feedback from community surveys.

Division Leader Caelestis tells us, “We've decided to remove Instagib due to a lack of popularity. Our resources can be better expended elsewhere with the servers that we already have.”

In addition to these server changes, there are also some slight changes in the way recruiting drives will work. While the overall goals of recruiting have always been to focus on quality instead of quantity, the old-fashioned ways of holding recruiting drives were too centered on the “numbers game” by asking attendees to try to get new recruits in a limited period of time (usually an hour).

Now recruiting drives and classes will focus on teaching members how to recruit naturally by being a friendly player on the servers every time they play.

Remember that you can recruit at any rank and no matter how long you have been in eGO. When you’re out on our servers, be the kind of player that makes others ask, “Can I join eGO?” We trust you to represent the TF2 Division with pride.

Don’t forget, the TF2 Division has regular events and this is also a great opportunity to invite new members or get to know players from other servers. As always, you are also invited to join in TeamSpeak and the forums.

If you have ideas to improve the division or would like to recommend your fellow members for an award or achievement, or just alert leadership to someone who is putting forth that extra effort, you can use the DropBox.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Quaffer]

By Blaze

Guns and Grenades

As any military gamer or war veteran can tell you, you never want to see an enemy grenade up close. They disorient, wound, and kill. One thing you may not know is that when that grenade lands next to your position, that metal harbinger of death was nearly 1300 years in the making. That's right. The hand grenade was first invented around 741 AD -- before pizza (circa 1889, Italy), weapon rifling (circa 1400s, Europe), the printing press (1041-1048, China), and even gunpowder (first mentioned c. 808, China).

A Long Strange Trip

That may seem impossible, but the first hand grenades relied on "Greek Fire" rather than gunpowder. These were the first incendiary grenades, as opposed to the now more-common fragmentation grenades. Their purpose was to shatter and ignite enemy units and equipment, rather than to destroy them with a concussion blast or razor-sharp shrapnel. These grenades put intense fear and terror in the hearts and minds of those facing them. Imagine you are a soldier marching upon a Byzantine position. All you have is a sword, a shield, and some metal plate armor. Suddenly, half a dozen Greek Fire bombs rain down on your position from more than thirty meters away! Worst of all, though, is that when Greek Fire landed on something, it stuck to it and ignited -- even burning on the surface of water!

Sky-shaking Thunder

China later adopted a version of the hand grenade during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). These weapons were known as Zhen Tian Lei (or, "Sky-shaking Thunder"). Chinese soldiers would cram gunpowder into metal or ceramic containers. One of the Chinese military books, Wujing Zongyao ("Compilation of Military Classics") described a number of recipes for gunpowder that include a prototype of the modern hand grenade, according to British historian and scientist Joseph Needham.

Europe Gets the Grenade

Europe did not begin using cast iron grenades until around 1467. It is believed that in 1643, "Grenados" were thrown amongst the Welsh at Holt Bridge during the English Civil War. The modern term "grenade" originated in the Glorious Revolution in 1688. These grenades (which were cricket ball-sized iron spheres packed with gunpowder and fitted with slow-burning wicks) saw little use, primarily due to their ineffectiveness.

Modern Hand Grenades

The modern hand grenade was patented by Sergeant, First lieutenant and Officer Nils Waltersen Aasen, of Norway, in 1906. He was appointed a Knight of the French Legion of honor for his invention, in 1916. Oddly enough, their main motive to keep improving the hand grenade at that time was to strengthen and modernize the Norwegian armed forces to help against a possible future conflict with neighboring Sweden. Aasen formed the Aasenske Granatkompani in Denmark, and before World War I, they had already manufactured and exported large numbers of hand grenades all over Europe.

Grenades were used in the American Civil War and WWI, but the familiar pineapple design was patented and developed by William Mills in 1915. This was designated by Mills as the No. 5. The notched outside was believed at the time to improve fragmentation (and deadliness) but this was later disproved. The design was retained, however, as it gave soldiers a good grip on the explosive. The M67 used by U.S. forces, however, is round metal and has a smooth exterior, which is much better for rolling or throwing it in a flat arc. This makes it much easier to roll into enemy trenches or to bounce or skip off hard surfaces behind enemy defensive positions.

Potato Mashers

The German Model 24 Stielhandgranate stick grenade was introduced in 1915, and its design was tweaked throughout WWI. A friction igniter was used (common in German grenades but rare elsewhere) to start the five-second fuse. The Model 24 grenade was nicknamed the "potato masher", becoming synonymous with the German soldier.

Fillers and Blast Radius

Grenades were originally packed with pure gunpowder, but later evolved to include improvised shrapnel that was readily available on the battlefield. Modern fragmentation grenades, however, generally have a layer of segmented coiled wire, ball bearings, or other metal shrapnel manufactured as a part of the device, to aid in the neutralization of groups of enemy forces. Older grenades had a kill radius as high as fifty meters, but modern frag grenades have a kill radius varying between fifteen and thirty meters, with possible wounding from shrapnel as far out as 200 meters.

Final Thought

The next time you prepare to throw a grenade, keep all this in mind. Aim carefully. Don't waste that grenade -- after all, it took most of the world more than a thousand years to get it ready just for you to throw it away!

Special thanks to Wikipedia for the source material for this article. You can view Wikipedia's entry on hand grenades in its entirety here.



Editor's note: This is the first article in a series. We hope you enjoyed it and that you are looking forward to learning about guns in our next installment.

Quaffer​

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264142"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[Goje]

first

 

[Rawburt]

TTT FTW.

Also, what about Goyan?? :c no one said anything about him.

 

[Kamikaze Bad Ass]

how come CS;S wasn't included in this ??

 

[Quaffer]

We don't include all of the divisions in every newsletter. We don't have the staff for it. In this edition two of the articles were written by editors and one article was written by a guest reporter. We do try to make sure that if a division is left out of the newsletter it is covered the following month.