Sure, they're a clan of Forza 2 enthusiasts, but they're also a clan that endures. JCotter13, overlord of 2Old4ForzaToo, is here to tell you how he and his clannies keep the clan strong and clan members involved.
A couple of weeks ago, Caesar approached me with a request that I write an article about 2Old4ForzaToo (henceforth to be referred to as 2O4FT). So here goes...
Let’s start with a little back story first shall we? I joined up with 2O2P Back in July, 2007, after reading a post about a website for old fogies like myself. This was shortly after the launch of Forza Motorsport 2. Posts were made and people responded and we ended up running our first spec racing series. Within the next month 2O4FT was officially birthed by me and Sir Poonga. Now here we are, a little over a year-and-a-half later, still going strong.
Caesar asked me to talk a little about how we’ve managed to thrive as a clan for more than a year-and-a-half on one game. Granted, only about 30ish or so of our 155 members are active, but still, you can pretty much find some (if not most) of those folks online racing nightly, usually comfortably numbed if not downright under the influence. Competition is always fierce, but friendly, and much smack is talked. On any given evening, it’s not uncommon for us to have two rooms going with 5-6 members in each.
Now that we’ve gotten a little back-story out of the way, I’ll get down to the real purpose of this article.
It’s All About The People!!!
When I posed the question “What keeps you coming back?” to my clan mates, the overwhelming response was: “I’m still here because of you guys.” As time has progressed, we’ve built up a “core group” of members. I rely heavily on this core to bring new ideas to the table and help out our newer members. The members’ enthusiasm and skills for a game that can be difficult for the casual racer makes the learning curve a lot easier.
That enthusiasm can also be quite infectious. Several folks who’ve joined the clan after shelving their copy of the game have discovered a new love for the game that had been gathering dust on their shelf. Note to clan leaders -- make use of these people. The more involved you keep your core group, the better for everyone. Thanks to these folks, 2O4FT doesn’t have to advertise for new members. They always seem to find us. I think Brntguy’s response said it best…
I know as an addict of the game and member of this clan I just want more people to enjoy this game as much as I have...whether winning or losing a race I want others to get the best experience possible from the game and have FUN doing it. For me it isn't all about winning, and I think most of our clan members feel the same. We are looking for…racing…that makes your blood flow…that makes you sweat and hold your breath and say under your breath HOLY SHIT! So we are willing to help our fellow clan members to be the best they can be and get the most out of the game.
It is so awesome to have a place of like-minded mature people to race with at almost anytime…it’s what has me spending way too much time with this game even after 2 yrs. It's all about online racing, I mean after you finish the career stuff by yourself what else is there in the game? Not having to deal with timmys at all makes it enjoyable, but the bunch of guys we race with here is such a good group of personalities and varied backgrounds makes for some awesome conversations while enjoying one of the best racing games made. I guess what I'm saying is what keeps me coming back, the people here, what a great group.
Tips for Clan Leaders
Keeping a clan going can be a difficult but rewarding task. Trust me, I know. Here are a few techniques that have contributed to our success as a clan. I think they’ll work for you, too.
First and foremost, make time for your clan. I know we all have real lives, but I always try to get a play session in every day. Even if it’s only for 30-45 minutes. Take a few minutes after wifey goes to bed and all the kids are down to check in with your mates.
Make an extra effort to help your new members. In 2O4FT, when a player who’s new to the game joins up, we send him out a bunch of cars that are tuned and ready to race and hook them up with some spending money to get him on his way. Have a “noob” or “amateur” night where you let the newer guys get to know the rest of the clan and compete against some folks on their own skill level.
Use your clan page. It’s a great way to show everyone on 2O2P what’s going on with your clan. It also makes for a great recruiting tool. You can find a link to clan pages up at the top right of the 2o2p banner across the top of any screen. Or you can type the following link followed by your clan’s name … http://www.2old2play.com/modules.php?name=Clans&clan=
Find new ways to keep the game fun and “fresh” for everybody. Give your members a reason to want to get involved. This goes back to having special events. 2O4FT, besides having our spec racing series, now has a monthly endurance race, and semi-weekly “stock nights.” For you FPS clans, try having a snipers only night, or a pistols and shotguns night. Mix it up. These types of events can also help your members find where their true talents lie in a game by making them try something they might not normally do.
OK one more … Create a clan gamertag. This way there will be one central place for all of your members to find each other without having to over-populate their own friends lists. Anybody can do this. It’s simply a matter of creating a new Xbox Live account using your clan’s name as the gamertag. Then, make a stickied post in your clan’s forum instructing your members to send a Friend request to this new tag. This prevents unnecessary population of your members’ friends list.
Tips for Clan Members
HAVE FUN!!! If you’re not having a positive experience, let your clan organizers know what we can do to make it better for you.
Respect your fellow clan-mates. Everybody loves to talk smack, but don’t let it spiral out of control. Usually, the minute things start getting over-competitive is when they can go south very quickly.
Don’t be shy. Newer members may be hesitant to join in clan activities or to start a room sometimes. If you see your mates playing online, shoot them a message and ask for an invite. There’s no shame in it. On the opposite side of the coin, if you’re in a room, check out your clan’s friends list gamertag to see if there is anybody who hasn’t been invited. If the room is full, shoot them a message and tell them to start up a new lobby if there are enough people to run a 2nd. Or get a few volunteers from your room to join a second room. The main point is this: Make sure that nobody feels left out. I make a point of sending out invites to my members as soon as I see them on Forza, that way they know they’re not being ignored.
Take some time to get to know your clan mates. You never know where you might find a really great friend. If it weren’t for my clan-mates, I would have burned out on Forza, but I count some of these guys whom I’ve never met as some of my best buds.
For those of you who read this entire article, thank you for slogging through my mindless drivel. This will probably be the last time Caesar ever asks me to write an article for 2O2P.
For more information about what clans are recruiting for the game you are interested in check out the Clan Recruitment Center. If you want to join us for some Forza 2 fun, here’s how…
To see a few videos created by Brntguy check out his Youtube channel.
