kindness
12-22-2007, 01:59 PM
We're glad you're considering recruitment!
First, a common question: FUN Clan or UT clan, whazzup wit dat?
The clan started as an Unreal Tournament clan--and continues to be a highly respected clan that runs popular servers for Unreal Tournament 99, and UT 2004.
When the clan expanded into Halo, it was discovered that Halo already had a FUN clan, so a different name was needed for the clan in Halo. [UT] was the logical choice! (A running joke is "What does 'UT' stand for?" We've got some funky answers to that one...)
The key to recruitment is not about being a super skilled player; skills help, but even the very beginner will be welcomed if they fit the criteria we are looking for in a clanmember. Basically, it's about good people getting to know one another and enjoying the company of clanmates who share a passion for racing hogs or playing Unreal Tournament. A sense of humor certainly helps! It's about FUN!!!
One thing you'll need is a microphone, and the Teamspeak application. Teamspeak can be downloaded for free, and allows you to join us in conversation. (Information on how to load Teamspeak and access our teamspeak server is available elsewhere in the Forum.) You MUST have a mic and Teamspeak to get clan tags, big or small.
I came to the clan through their Halo race server, so from here I'll address primarily joining UT clan from Halo...
UT clan runs several Halo servers, focused primarily upon race. Race is what we collectively believe to be the ultimate way to play muliplayer Halo. If you don't already, I hope you get to see what we mean. It takes more skill to become an accomplished racer than any other style of halo, because it incorporates all the skills in the other styles, plus developing a refined driving acumen.
But to make race work, there have to be rules, or else the campers and slayers will make the finesse and skill of quality racing irrelevant, and the game dissolves into chaos and becomes just another slayer server.
Halo race has developed a culture of its own, and the racing clans all have their own rules on how to behave in their servers.
THIS IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO JOINING THE UT CLAN FOR RACE: YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RACE RULES ON ANY SERVER YOU VISIT.
It is especially important if you decide to be recruited that you take exceptional care to follow rules while you are in recruitment and have small tags (the -ut- tag rather than the full membership [UT] tag.) The clan members are watching. And there is little that will trip up your membership more quickly than not playing by the rules. If in doubt, err on the side of caution. It's better to take a death than to end up violating a rule. Adhering to race rules never goes away, but you will have to take extra care while you are being recruited to learn our clan's ways.
You can find the UT clan race rules in the thread Draco put up at the very top of the Forum.
The biggest thing is not to get kills for the sake of getting kills, unless you are in the turret of a MOVING hog.
In most Halo styles of play, kill total is the goal, or a big part part of it. Killing does have its place in race, but you need to understand what that place is, because it's MUCH different. The ULTIMATE accomplishment in race is laps, not kills, and getting you and your teammates laps is what will make you an accomplished racer. Kills aren't the goal.
It can be very tempting to throw a grenade (nade) at a hog to try to keep them from being able to shoot you. But you can't, unless it is the only hog in the area. Then, you are free to attack from foot to get the hog--which is called "hog jacking." DO NOT HOG JACK IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ANOTHER HOG, even to upgrade from a chainhog to a rocket hog.
Another biggie: do NOT try to run people over! this is how we interpret the "no chasing" rule: You CANNOT diverge from a reasonable path to your next nav in an attempt to get a kill. This goes for driving with a gunner in a manner to get them a better shot, which includes stopping for kills. If you stop, your gunner is now a hog camper, even if you are in the hog.
That having been said, a "swerve" that pops someone on foot who might attack you is allowable. If you have to spin, or cut hard, or if your "swerve" involves a long trajectory outside of the normal path to your nav, that's chasing. NEVER double back to run someone over. That's gonna earn you a kick from the server; successful recruits don't chase.
Nading/shooting from elevated areas includes standing on an elevated base and nading/attacking. This is camping. Also, don't nade or fire from the ledges. Use them only to get to where you need to go; wait until you're on the ground to attack, if necessary.
On top of the rules, there is also etiquette. Play for your team first, and respect those who are making an effort to play race. Some points of etiquette:
1. Don't call people "noobs" or mock them if they aren't as skilled as others. We all start somewhere. RESPECT is the key. You'll see the full members admin with harsh statements at times; you'll quickly see this is applied to people who have been warned, or obviously know race, but are trying to be a problem. This is the hardest part of making a good halo race server work, and it can get frustrating. But ALWAYS offer guests the benefit of the doubt, be respectful, and keep it FUN.
2. DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! Allow me to repeat, DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! If a hog flips and everyone is tossed, get BACK into the same position you had previously. There are a couple of exceptions: Obviously, if you were in the passenger seat and the driver and/or gunner get killed, you should take the available spot. But DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! And NEVER jack a teammate's hog. That will be a big blot on your record. Another instance might be if you are under fire, and need to move quickly. In that case, take whatever is available, and then get to a clear spot and swap back. If you're in Teamspeak, this is all done very easily--you can communicate to others what is happening. Still, always offer the seat to whomever had it last time when opportunity affords.
3. Try to help teammates--if your driver or gunner get killed, think about where they might be. If you're in teamspeak, ask them where they spawned. And team up. Of course, in a busy server, it's probably easier to just let them get another ride and move on. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to do this, as it will take longer to get them than to just get your lap and get another hogmate. You'll learn how best to apply this one.
4. Try not to argue with guests, and NEVER argue in game with a fellow clan member! There's no place for this. Take it to the forums, or get a separate channel in Teamspeak if necessary, but don't involve the game server. This really hasn't been an issue--but it's worth mentioning.
5. Try to make the server fun--and help create an environment where others will want to play. Especially while you have small tags, make your warnings courteous--use "please" when possible. Apply your sense of humor, but this leads into the next point:
6. Don't make your comments at the expense of the team. Too much typing can be a distraction, and you're not focusing on the task at hand when you do. Your hotkeys can be customized to afford you the luxury of being jovial without having to type a lot. Race first. (hotkeys is an issue also described in detail elsewhere on the forum.)
7. Drive aggressively to get laps for your team, but drive with courtesy toward your team. If you're trying to pass a teammate to get the best time, you' re not being a teammate. Don;t ram or edge teammies. If you're the faster hog, you'll have a chance to get by.
8. Think about the teammates' hog near you--if you're solo and they have a gunner, they should get priority. Use them for protection and follow.
We hope you find the possibilities intriguing, and if you are interested, we invite you to move forward with the recruitment process. The best way to do that is sign up for the forums, submit an application, and join us in Teamspeak.
We look forward to racing with you!
--Kindness
blues
First, a common question: FUN Clan or UT clan, whazzup wit dat?
The clan started as an Unreal Tournament clan--and continues to be a highly respected clan that runs popular servers for Unreal Tournament 99, and UT 2004.
When the clan expanded into Halo, it was discovered that Halo already had a FUN clan, so a different name was needed for the clan in Halo. [UT] was the logical choice! (A running joke is "What does 'UT' stand for?" We've got some funky answers to that one...)
The key to recruitment is not about being a super skilled player; skills help, but even the very beginner will be welcomed if they fit the criteria we are looking for in a clanmember. Basically, it's about good people getting to know one another and enjoying the company of clanmates who share a passion for racing hogs or playing Unreal Tournament. A sense of humor certainly helps! It's about FUN!!!
One thing you'll need is a microphone, and the Teamspeak application. Teamspeak can be downloaded for free, and allows you to join us in conversation. (Information on how to load Teamspeak and access our teamspeak server is available elsewhere in the Forum.) You MUST have a mic and Teamspeak to get clan tags, big or small.
I came to the clan through their Halo race server, so from here I'll address primarily joining UT clan from Halo...
UT clan runs several Halo servers, focused primarily upon race. Race is what we collectively believe to be the ultimate way to play muliplayer Halo. If you don't already, I hope you get to see what we mean. It takes more skill to become an accomplished racer than any other style of halo, because it incorporates all the skills in the other styles, plus developing a refined driving acumen.
But to make race work, there have to be rules, or else the campers and slayers will make the finesse and skill of quality racing irrelevant, and the game dissolves into chaos and becomes just another slayer server.
Halo race has developed a culture of its own, and the racing clans all have their own rules on how to behave in their servers.
THIS IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO JOINING THE UT CLAN FOR RACE: YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RACE RULES ON ANY SERVER YOU VISIT.
It is especially important if you decide to be recruited that you take exceptional care to follow rules while you are in recruitment and have small tags (the -ut- tag rather than the full membership [UT] tag.) The clan members are watching. And there is little that will trip up your membership more quickly than not playing by the rules. If in doubt, err on the side of caution. It's better to take a death than to end up violating a rule. Adhering to race rules never goes away, but you will have to take extra care while you are being recruited to learn our clan's ways.
You can find the UT clan race rules in the thread Draco put up at the very top of the Forum.
The biggest thing is not to get kills for the sake of getting kills, unless you are in the turret of a MOVING hog.
In most Halo styles of play, kill total is the goal, or a big part part of it. Killing does have its place in race, but you need to understand what that place is, because it's MUCH different. The ULTIMATE accomplishment in race is laps, not kills, and getting you and your teammates laps is what will make you an accomplished racer. Kills aren't the goal.
It can be very tempting to throw a grenade (nade) at a hog to try to keep them from being able to shoot you. But you can't, unless it is the only hog in the area. Then, you are free to attack from foot to get the hog--which is called "hog jacking." DO NOT HOG JACK IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ANOTHER HOG, even to upgrade from a chainhog to a rocket hog.
Another biggie: do NOT try to run people over! this is how we interpret the "no chasing" rule: You CANNOT diverge from a reasonable path to your next nav in an attempt to get a kill. This goes for driving with a gunner in a manner to get them a better shot, which includes stopping for kills. If you stop, your gunner is now a hog camper, even if you are in the hog.
That having been said, a "swerve" that pops someone on foot who might attack you is allowable. If you have to spin, or cut hard, or if your "swerve" involves a long trajectory outside of the normal path to your nav, that's chasing. NEVER double back to run someone over. That's gonna earn you a kick from the server; successful recruits don't chase.
Nading/shooting from elevated areas includes standing on an elevated base and nading/attacking. This is camping. Also, don't nade or fire from the ledges. Use them only to get to where you need to go; wait until you're on the ground to attack, if necessary.
On top of the rules, there is also etiquette. Play for your team first, and respect those who are making an effort to play race. Some points of etiquette:
1. Don't call people "noobs" or mock them if they aren't as skilled as others. We all start somewhere. RESPECT is the key. You'll see the full members admin with harsh statements at times; you'll quickly see this is applied to people who have been warned, or obviously know race, but are trying to be a problem. This is the hardest part of making a good halo race server work, and it can get frustrating. But ALWAYS offer guests the benefit of the doubt, be respectful, and keep it FUN.
2. DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! Allow me to repeat, DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! If a hog flips and everyone is tossed, get BACK into the same position you had previously. There are a couple of exceptions: Obviously, if you were in the passenger seat and the driver and/or gunner get killed, you should take the available spot. But DON'T STEAL SEATS!!! And NEVER jack a teammate's hog. That will be a big blot on your record. Another instance might be if you are under fire, and need to move quickly. In that case, take whatever is available, and then get to a clear spot and swap back. If you're in Teamspeak, this is all done very easily--you can communicate to others what is happening. Still, always offer the seat to whomever had it last time when opportunity affords.
3. Try to help teammates--if your driver or gunner get killed, think about where they might be. If you're in teamspeak, ask them where they spawned. And team up. Of course, in a busy server, it's probably easier to just let them get another ride and move on. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to do this, as it will take longer to get them than to just get your lap and get another hogmate. You'll learn how best to apply this one.
4. Try not to argue with guests, and NEVER argue in game with a fellow clan member! There's no place for this. Take it to the forums, or get a separate channel in Teamspeak if necessary, but don't involve the game server. This really hasn't been an issue--but it's worth mentioning.
5. Try to make the server fun--and help create an environment where others will want to play. Especially while you have small tags, make your warnings courteous--use "please" when possible. Apply your sense of humor, but this leads into the next point:
6. Don't make your comments at the expense of the team. Too much typing can be a distraction, and you're not focusing on the task at hand when you do. Your hotkeys can be customized to afford you the luxury of being jovial without having to type a lot. Race first. (hotkeys is an issue also described in detail elsewhere on the forum.)
7. Drive aggressively to get laps for your team, but drive with courtesy toward your team. If you're trying to pass a teammate to get the best time, you' re not being a teammate. Don;t ram or edge teammies. If you're the faster hog, you'll have a chance to get by.
8. Think about the teammates' hog near you--if you're solo and they have a gunner, they should get priority. Use them for protection and follow.
We hope you find the possibilities intriguing, and if you are interested, we invite you to move forward with the recruitment process. The best way to do that is sign up for the forums, submit an application, and join us in Teamspeak.
We look forward to racing with you!
--Kindness
blues