News: PlanetSide as a Leadership Skill

[Mag]

Howdy! Nice to see so many of us still around. Recognized you and SgtMAD from back in the days of RRTs.

[Bos Carnis]

I disagree. I was never in an outfit that had much leadership. Either they didn't care what you were doing or if they had at least modicum of leadership, they simply told you what continent to go to and what base to attack. Everything else was just doctrinal: "Cert this and that, don't use that weapon!"

This was compounded by the CR5 system, which encouraged non-leaders to take formal lead of a squad just so they could attain a big sky laser.

Maybe I just had some bad experiences (I did come to the game sort of late) but I saw a LOT more leadership in EVE online.

[Mag]

In my experience, PlanetSide was definitely the major testing ground. SnH before PlanetSide was a massive guild in a game called "Earth and Beyond." I took over the PlanetSide division when the game first entered beta.

What I learned while running the group in PlanetSide was that building community was far more important than numbers or tactics. If everyone got along well, they'd eventually work well tactically. We could teach people to get better, teaching them not to be jerks was tougher.

[Boomzor]

With a sample as large as the planetside player base from all time, it's no wonder you get all shapes, colours and interests.

But yes, you do get people who want to lead, you do get people who want to co-operate towards a common goal. You also come across asshats and idiots who'll run off on their own tangent and sod anybody else.

It's not just Planetside. It's every game with a multiplayer feature. It's just that you get a nice perspective and clear cut contrasts when it gets to the MMO scale.

But you know what? You learn how to deal with people and the issue that arise in those contacts, and you get to do it in a rather harmless and playful environment. I'm sure most of us come out enriched by that on a personal level.

[RedKnights]

Planetside in terms of outfits was like any other kind o leadership organization, like Scouting, in that those who led best, succeeded.

You also learned a lot about getting people to WANT to do what you wanted them to do rather than forcing them to do it, since all players are just voluneers, like a militia. Leadership during Planetside's hayday was critical, and it definitely helped my abilities, and outgoingness....

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by Mag

We could teach people to get better, teaching them not to be jerks was tougher.

Which is the greatest challenge on the Internet.

[Elude]

I don't think Planetside really taught me anything . It was sure as hell fun though!

[L4G]

Originally Posted by SniperSteve

I have PlanetSide on my resume! (not really, but I should)

I had a mock interview as part of my foundation degree last year and Planetside Experience as outfit leader of one of Werners biggest TR outfits and experiences leading groups of 30+ individuals at towards the same goal was on my CV.

Got questioned about it and afterwards told it was an unusual thing to include but very relevant for the times we live in

[Timey]

Lol I would still certainly NOT put "playing planetside for x years" in my cv

[Figment]

Originally Posted by UnknownDT

Planetside taught me how to be a real boy.

I thought Mirror made you a real boy? :x

And Hippo made you a real girl? :o

[Akemo]

Originally Posted by IDukeNukeml

They learn to communicate, building interpersonal communcation skills (even though some are bat shit nerdy.) They still learn too communicate regardless.

[Stammers] I . . . you . . . wrong . . . you . . . nerd . . . not . . . me . . . !!!

J/K. You're totally right, but the nice thing about a video game is, that doesn't matter, even to people who might care in "real life."

[Shogun]

nice blog! and it´s true.

i used planetside to train when i had to play the role of a fighter squad leader in a fanfilm.
took squad lead for outfit squad, told everyone, that i want to train military style, fired up teamspeak and did some roleplaying.and maybe this experience came in handy, when i was managing my team at work for the last year.

[Sardus]

Originally Posted by Mag

Ha! This is actually my father's blog. He shot me an email this morning saying that he'd mentioned me in it. Glad you all enjoyed the read. Here's the article in its non-rehosted format.

http://eblingroup.com/2012/03/is-you...html#more-3157

At any rate, the outfit back in those days was Strength and Honour (We were NC on Markov, and I recognize more than a few names around here of outfits and folks we'd coordinate with pretty routinely).
SnH is still together, largely with the same base membership these days, though we've moved on to other games while waiting for PS2.

That's pretty cool of your dad and I agree with him 100%. I work for a construction company and I attribute my management skills to those that I learned from running and leading my outfit in planetside for over 7 years while in highschool and college.

It also taught me how to talk shit and cuss like a sailor too LOL. But I'm not complaining because I work for the railroad and it helped prepare me for that side of it

[Trolltaxi]

Mentioning PS in CVs is an Outcaster habit it seems L4G!

I even mentioned PS in my Europass CV when I was applying for a EU-expert work. "Social skills and competences: Experience in leading 'achievement oriented' project groups in a multilingual environment." True? True... :trollface:

[DviddLeff]

Without the experience of running and leading my outfit I would never have had the confidence or skills to become a teacher.