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Ok folks, I know I have asked about this before and only got a few answers. Who here is in favor of starting / forming a WOF Ravenshield squad? If so, we should go over a squad /unit name, squad logo, and who is gonna lead and organize the squad, etc...

I'm not really sure how to go about getting this off the ground, I know Brian is busy this week and I don't want to distract him. I figured the best thing to do is to shoot this out to everyone on the boards and get some imput and ideas. Of course Brian and Kendra get to make the final approval on this. So, lets come up with some ideas and see if we can make this happen.

So far, the following people have Ravenshield:

Softball
Gator
Madrus
Raptor
Steel
Kodiak
Fire
Bad Karma
Jedi Master (New)
Airjawa

Well, our units have never been based on a particular sim... For instance the 301st flies Falcons in whatever sim is played that has Falcons in it. Not sure if this should change or not... Let's see what Raptor and Katana say. I also think the Ghosts may well be playing R63 almost exclusively instead of GR once everyone has their PC's up to snuff??? I think the premise of the game fits the SFOD, Delta even better than GR does. Or we fix the somewhat confusing unit designation of 5SFG-D and make it and proper A team designation and do form a new Delta unit...'cause I am not sure what 5SFG-D means (even though I am supposed to be the CO!).

FWIW, GR makes an excellent platform for Force Recon, Seal's (except no water environment) or Spec Ops A team simulation. I also think that OFP can do the same, as well as simulate regular infantry units as well. R63 is definitely a hostage rescue/terrorism/CQB simulator. Could do well for a SWAT unit too...how's that for an idea?

When I talked with Raptor last, it was my impression that Ravenshield would be another sim played by 5SFG-D. At the time it seemed unlikely that we would start another unit to play Ravenshield. Ravenshield does not fit in any other unit that we already have designated since all other units are flight units and the 13th MEU, even though it is Special Operations Capable, is more of a conventional military force with Helicopter, Armor, Air, and Artilllery components.

I don't know how small the real life 5SFG-D is or what it's missions are like; maybe a redesignation should happen?

IMHO, our WOF unit structure is a bit confusing to me. Our site looks impressive, but with the relatively small membership, would a sim-based structure rather than a squad-based structure make more sense?

We might wish to consider having squad-based system, where we utilise various sims to cater for the scenarios we wish to play out. Having said that, we'll need a scenario to get things started. :lol:

? don't we have a squad-based system now?

Well, SFG's do not have D detachments. They have sub-units of SOD-A which are roughly squad size, SOD-B which are Company HQ's and SOD-C which are the battalion C&C and HQ. If the -D is referring to Delta, then the correct designation is "SFOD, Delta", which does not belong to any SFG.

I think perhaps organization along the lines of sims may be a good idea, rather than units. Raptor may have done a lot already in rebuilding the site, but most of his work should be reuseable. It may make getting together easier to organize. CO's of units could perhaps migrate to OIC's of particular sims, with perhaps an Asst. OIC or NCOIC to assist as well - then there is not need for worrying about ranks based upon sim/sim type, rather maybe for overall contibutions to the unit/longevity. Just some random thoughts for fleshing out or discarding as you wish...

I like the idea of a SWAT TEAM type squad. I think of RvS as more of a Police oriented game. In the game when you run into the bad guys, they yell "POLICE!", so there you have it.

We could implement Swat 3, RvS, and next year Swat 4 (Urban Justice). I would be first in line to be part of the SWAT TEAM squad if we start one.

I agree with Steel. I felt it was wierd that the F-15, F-16, and A-10 squads all played Falcon and there was one member in the A-10 squad, 2 in the F-15, etc ... it spreads too thin if done by squadrons. Especially in a case where a squad supports 3 sims ... it can get difficult to schedule if all the squad members support that squad in a different sim - when do they play?

I would support migrating to a sim-based architecture.

DA's post in the 13th MEU forum today highlights the current situation. DO we really want to have 2 different squads using the same sim and splitting the community into having to choose which group to play with?

Viper, you are absolutely correct. We do need to beat the bushes a little if we want new members. I spoke Monday night with a new guy from the UK who I met in Frugals and is interested in flying A-10's with us. And with games like RVS, just playing in open-multiplayer games on the net, people see our tags.

In any case, whatever we decide, let's get something settled soon for RVS - it's a relatively new sim and the user community is very fluid right now. It's a good time to recruit as new people join the community.

As always, just my 2 cents ...

-Bri

I try to recruit people from SIMHQ all the time, for both F4 and OFP (Jedi Master from SimHQ joined the 13th MEU a week or so ago). I believe we are waiting for him to respond to an email Kendra sent to him for his info.

On the F4 side, it seems that most people are interested in the training aspect of F4. I have asked people to come on over and we could help them learn F4, even posted my ICQ and WOF email address. I have received maybe 4 or 5 responses, I give them all the info they need to join a session and possibly join the WOF team. I have not had a single one of them show up on Monday or Tuesday for a flight, not yet anyway. I don't know if it's intimidation(Don't know F4 well enough), shyness, they are too busy, or whatever, they just don't show up. Their loss.

I found an OFP clan/squad web site last night, and they are all pretty much a younger crowd (18 - 20), and have about 8 active members. They have squad standards and requirements for being a member (Which I happen to like), but I'm not sure if we want to have those kind of strict guidelines. WOF is about having FUN playing these sims/games, and not so much hardcore like this other squad. At least that's my perception. IMO, being in a certain squad for a certain game, instills unity, organization, motivation, and more.

I'm all for a SWAT TEAM type squad, and I don't think it matters to much if we have alot of games. It gives us more diversity and we don't have to play every game every week or get rid of a game, we can alternate games each week. If you build it, they will come.

Well, all without input from Raptor yet but I will add some more thought along that process...

What if we called each sim an "arena" or some such? That would make me OIC of the GR arena for example. Then we can have preferred "detachments" within each arena if we need to go that far. For example in the Falcon arena we could have the A-10, F-16, F-18, and F-15 detachments. Being a member or OIC (Commander in this case?) of one does not ever preclude participating in or being a member of another. Or the detachments could be along the lines of Attack (A-10), Strike Fighter (F-16, FA-18, F-15E), and Air Superiority (F-15C, F-14) with each covering a few different aircraft that are used in the same/similar roles. For me personally I would be a member of and mostly fly, if available in missions, in the Air Superiority detachment and occasionally fly in the Strike Fighter detachment if I felt like it or there were no Air Superiority planes available in the particular mission. In GR, I don't think we need such divisions...but would be open to it if a lot folks wanted it.

I think a sim would be retired naturally. For example, USAF can probably be dropped from the roles. A lot of people are nostalgic about it, and they raise the idea occasionally, but we do not ever fly it any more. At least not as a group. GR will retire when folks no longer have a desire to play it, as it is replaced by newer/better games. If a forum section goes without posts for say 60 days, then maybe we put up a poll to drop that forum, and officially WOF support for that game. We can still have a nostalgia forum for the occasional post/game for old sims.

Along these lines the unit forums would be changed to a forum for each sim. Forum sections can be divided by aircraft sims and ground based sims - very similar or the same as the forums on SimHQ.

The "No show" syndrome is a little more common than you might wish to accept - I have had several people from my area show good levels of interest in mainly GR, but none have shown their face either on the forum or the game let alone RW!
I don't think people need to worry as to why that is happening - how many people do you think sign on the dotted line, yet never show up as far as the railway siding!!? Believe me the numbers are huge
On a slightly different vane; other ways of tidying up are maybe things like the Falcon Training School could simply be integrated into 301st forum, and made a sticky post for convenience - just a thought. As far as missions in GR are concerned, we could make those revolve around the Monday evening's Falcon success or failure - if the mission in Falcon leaves an important objective incomplete - send in the GR squad, ejected pilots? send in a rescue mission etc.,

Hi guys
I just want to say that i got Ravenshield and im on to play with you guys but as a reserve since the huge time difference

Since i finished my service time in army this friday and now im unemployed i have more time then before to play games.


Hades

Not in most European Nations. Most of them have some type of obligatory government service, from 1 to 2 years for everyone (there are ways to get out of or mitigate it). There are other ways to fulfill that other than military, but the majority do some type of military service. They get training and are lifetime reservists - that is what the individual govts. get out of it. Hades can perhaps fill us in a bit more on how his country works...if any different.

Hi guys
Swedish armed forces (airforce,army,marines,navy...) have been concist of guys that are over 18 and finished school then theyre drafted and those who pass all trhe tests will be sent to army,navy... and you can serve 7,5 months as soldier, 10months as squad leader or or other types of stuff that requires extra training like elektronik warfare... 15 months to lead a troop as it is called in sweden 2 firesquads or platoon adn all ranger stuff is 15 months also.

They have made a hugh change in the defence and the number of people they traine a year is very small so its now they take in more that do want to serve and not as many that dont want to do it.

a few reason they have done all the cutbacks is beacuse they dont think we have a threat right now and they have focus on to have good gear,planes, tanks so qualety instead.

and the number one priorety in the army is peacekeeping missions so the money and stuff goes to that first.

and yes you are almost whole life servists.

if you guys have any questions feel free to aks i will do my best to try to answer them
and if your intrested in what i did and stuff i can try to explain.

Hades