tom
Jan 18, 2005, @ 05:39 PM
The Lone Star Command was formed in the game Homeworld, which was developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios. Homeworld has been widely acclaimed as the game that revolutionized the Real-Time-Strategy experience, expanding beyond typical 2-dimensional maps to a vivid 3-d world with excellent character acting and a truly moving story line.
Homeworld was more than just a single-player revolution, it had an excellent multi-player feature which gave birth to dozens of clans and groups. The Lone Star Command was one of these groups, formed in February 2000--five months after its release--by MVB as an organization for people to come together and play games, regardless of current clan affiliation. These players would learn and grow from each others experiences, expanding their horizons and making their names known.
Unfortunately, TLSC's high-activity tenure in Homeworld was short-lived. However, Homeworld: Cataclysm (part II of the original) was created by Barking Dog Studios (now known as Rockstar: Vancouver) and published again by Sierra. MVB attempted successfully to revive the Command here with the help of the former TLSC website designer MisterP.
Recruitment at first was slow, and only a few members joined during a two week recruitment drive by MVB. But then, a hopeless newbie with an online alias named Stealth asked in public chat: "I NEED TO BE RECRUITED!" One of MVB's recruits named Deathfang, who himself would become a valuable member of TLSC Cataclysm, kindly replied that a group called TLSC was recruiting. Eager to join TLSC, in his first ever online multiplayer experience, Stealth met with MVB and was accepted.
TLSC Cataclysm then blossomed as Stealth recruited like crazy. At one point, nearly 50 members were involved with TLSC Cataclysm, and it was not an uncommon sight to see an entire online lobby half filled with a dozen members of TLSC. TLSC also began to recruit more experienced players as its reputation grew, and became the second home to some of Cataclysm's legends.
But later on in its Cataclysm tenure, TLSC was unfortunately neglected by its senior management. This was mainly due in part to the increasing idleness of current members who were moving on to other games, but also due to real life complications for MVB which prevented him from continuing his hard work of holding TLSC together. It looked as if TLSC was going to die as its membership literally disappeared. By June of 2001, nine months after its reincarnation in Homeworld: Cataclysm, TLSC was nothing but a memory.
However, there was hope on the horizon. After being all but dead for three years, MVB and Stealth came back together with the much-anticipated release of the game Homeworld2, again developed by Relic and published by Sierra. Contacts were renewed with a few of those who still remembered the "good old days" of TLSC, namely Bentusi and Angel, and once Homeworld2 was released, TLSC began to rapidly expand.
Homeworld2 saw a golden age for TLSC. TLSC literally dominated the Homeworld2 lobby at times and worked hard to develop strategies and to make everyone feel welcome. A new policy of recommendations made sure that each member was reviewed before entry to help prevent any bad influences infiltrating TLSC. Afterall, TLSC has always sought to raise the bar in sportsmanship and good-taste.
Homeworld2 didn't turn out to be quite the game that was anticipated and thus many members of TLSC left Homeworld2 for other games. However, unlike with the decline of TLSC after Cataclysm, a strong community has emerged with active message boards and continued contact between members. Many divisions into other games have been attempted by members of TLSC, showing a continued devotion to the Command by its "new generation" of members.
TLSC has continued to expand. Although most of the previous divisions have since gone with the wind, the presence of TLSC in the game World of Warcraft has grown dramatically. As of Early 2006, there were nearly 200 members of the TLSC guild (named Heroes of the Command). Another TLSC guild (named Green Goo) on another WoW server has also grown in membership. The WoW community has shown maturity and perserverence, and has continued to grow since its founding.
Although there have been trying times in TLSC's history, the spirit and esscence of TLSC has lived on. Without this esscence, MVB, Stealth, and the other old guard members would not have revived TLSC after years of non-existance. It is the core values of sportsmanship, good fun, and the comeraderie shared by its members that keeps the TLSC essence alive. Its the devotion to the fun of the games it is involved in and not the chore of maintaining an organization run by taskmasters and real sons-of-bitches that keeps the TLSC essence alive. As long as this remains, TLSC will continue through the good, the bad, and the ugly for many years to come.
Homeworld was more than just a single-player revolution, it had an excellent multi-player feature which gave birth to dozens of clans and groups. The Lone Star Command was one of these groups, formed in February 2000--five months after its release--by MVB as an organization for people to come together and play games, regardless of current clan affiliation. These players would learn and grow from each others experiences, expanding their horizons and making their names known.
Unfortunately, TLSC's high-activity tenure in Homeworld was short-lived. However, Homeworld: Cataclysm (part II of the original) was created by Barking Dog Studios (now known as Rockstar: Vancouver) and published again by Sierra. MVB attempted successfully to revive the Command here with the help of the former TLSC website designer MisterP.
Recruitment at first was slow, and only a few members joined during a two week recruitment drive by MVB. But then, a hopeless newbie with an online alias named Stealth asked in public chat: "I NEED TO BE RECRUITED!" One of MVB's recruits named Deathfang, who himself would become a valuable member of TLSC Cataclysm, kindly replied that a group called TLSC was recruiting. Eager to join TLSC, in his first ever online multiplayer experience, Stealth met with MVB and was accepted.
TLSC Cataclysm then blossomed as Stealth recruited like crazy. At one point, nearly 50 members were involved with TLSC Cataclysm, and it was not an uncommon sight to see an entire online lobby half filled with a dozen members of TLSC. TLSC also began to recruit more experienced players as its reputation grew, and became the second home to some of Cataclysm's legends.
But later on in its Cataclysm tenure, TLSC was unfortunately neglected by its senior management. This was mainly due in part to the increasing idleness of current members who were moving on to other games, but also due to real life complications for MVB which prevented him from continuing his hard work of holding TLSC together. It looked as if TLSC was going to die as its membership literally disappeared. By June of 2001, nine months after its reincarnation in Homeworld: Cataclysm, TLSC was nothing but a memory.
However, there was hope on the horizon. After being all but dead for three years, MVB and Stealth came back together with the much-anticipated release of the game Homeworld2, again developed by Relic and published by Sierra. Contacts were renewed with a few of those who still remembered the "good old days" of TLSC, namely Bentusi and Angel, and once Homeworld2 was released, TLSC began to rapidly expand.
Homeworld2 saw a golden age for TLSC. TLSC literally dominated the Homeworld2 lobby at times and worked hard to develop strategies and to make everyone feel welcome. A new policy of recommendations made sure that each member was reviewed before entry to help prevent any bad influences infiltrating TLSC. Afterall, TLSC has always sought to raise the bar in sportsmanship and good-taste.
Homeworld2 didn't turn out to be quite the game that was anticipated and thus many members of TLSC left Homeworld2 for other games. However, unlike with the decline of TLSC after Cataclysm, a strong community has emerged with active message boards and continued contact between members. Many divisions into other games have been attempted by members of TLSC, showing a continued devotion to the Command by its "new generation" of members.
TLSC has continued to expand. Although most of the previous divisions have since gone with the wind, the presence of TLSC in the game World of Warcraft has grown dramatically. As of Early 2006, there were nearly 200 members of the TLSC guild (named Heroes of the Command). Another TLSC guild (named Green Goo) on another WoW server has also grown in membership. The WoW community has shown maturity and perserverence, and has continued to grow since its founding.
Although there have been trying times in TLSC's history, the spirit and esscence of TLSC has lived on. Without this esscence, MVB, Stealth, and the other old guard members would not have revived TLSC after years of non-existance. It is the core values of sportsmanship, good fun, and the comeraderie shared by its members that keeps the TLSC essence alive. Its the devotion to the fun of the games it is involved in and not the chore of maintaining an organization run by taskmasters and real sons-of-bitches that keeps the TLSC essence alive. As long as this remains, TLSC will continue through the good, the bad, and the ugly for many years to come.