[TR] Black Widow Company: military-style, veteran-owned

I've been with BWC for about a month now and have had only good impressions so far. I've participated in a few operations and several training exercises - teammates have been friendly, trainers knowledgeable and organization exceptional. Not having been in the military myself some of the term and acronyms are a bit overwhelming and a lot to get used to, but that is the part of the experience and it works very well on the comms.

I felt like that structure and the added pressure of going through an application process would weed out the bad eggs of the gaming community. This aspect excited me as I hoped that once I got in I would find an elite gaming group. I love the military ranking system and knew that I would have to prove myself to go anywhere in the unit. I attended training in my primary game to show what I had and to also learn some things I didn't know about the game. There was large-scale operations, training, and exercises that taught me different strategies and tactics and gave me promotion points to move forward in my career at BWC.

I have not played very much yet as a group member, but so far it appears to be a lot of helpful, fun loving people. I hope to continue to get to know everyone much better.

First Impressions within the first month of starting with BWC:

I was impressed with how many operations, training and even non-game related things they have going on all the time. Their forums have an Operations Server that just lists the various activities across games and real life events as well. There is always something to do in BWC. It can take up as much or as little of your time as you want, and the members are very helpful.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC

Within my first month of BWC, I recall being very impressed with just how organized and structured things were. It was not only that, but the way that it was also fluid and fast-paced. One would think that a group with such a large organizational structure would take a long time to get things done, but that is very rarely the case.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC.

Within the first month of starting with Black Widow Company i realized that this group was what I had always been looking for. The level of dedication that this team brought to the table was astounding. I had a friendly introduction to the organization, and soon found myself participating in our training exercises and participating in our massive organized operations in Planetside 2. The tactics and strategy that BWC used in Planetside 2 really made the game alive for me. There is nothing like playing Planetside 2 with an organized group to get the full experience out of the game, and I found that with the help of the training and playing along side other great players my own play skill increased. After the first month I found that I have fallen in love with this organization, and I hope to spend many more years playing with my fellow BWC compatriots.

My first impressions within the first month of starting with BWC... This is a hard one because I feel it's an either say too much or say too little trying not to say too much kinda thing, but here goes. When I first started interacting, I was like, whoa. Totally hard core gamers with heart. They are committed not just to gaming, but to each other and to both camraderie and community--and that's just the non-gaming part. From a gaming perspective they really are elite, taking things to levels that I had only read about, not actually witnessed. And that "eliteness" (man it was hard not to use "leet-speak" there for that just for humor's sake) is an amazing mix of being elite while still wanting to share and grow and teach. Yes, there's structure that they adhere to, and rules of gaming--but they all serve very very well toward making gaming fun for all, and to build that sense of team and family.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC

After joining BWC I was actually pretty surprised. It is an eclectic and international group of players. It was great to be on TeamSpeak and realize my leader was in South Africa and other teammates were from Europe and Asia. A lot of the members are veterans/active duty of their respective countries. The esprit de corps is obvious once you join. Again, even though oceans separate some of us there are many strong friendships.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC:
I was very surprised to see that BWC had a very well organized administrative section for each game that would keep records of players achievements and contributions to the group and their progress within BWC. Training is taken seriously and while only the very basic courses are mandatory there are tons of additional training sessions you can go through for each BWC supported game to help improve both your individual skills as well as your skills as part of the team. And finally, on top of all the training and great support there's always the knowledge that we're all here to have fun, and you always have more fun when playing with friends.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC.

At first, the recruitment process was a little overwhelming. They have a lot of requirements and training that you have to complete within two weeks. Scheduling the training and navigating the HUGE TS3 and HUGE Forums across multiple games can be a little daunting for someone that is completely new. But BWC has something that I've never seen before. Staff. Oh I'm sure you've heard other companies, guilds, clans, etc say that they have Recruiters and Officers and whatchamacallits that have to do stuff. But there is no comparison. These guys volunteer for the jobs and actually have to WORK as STAFF doing a specific job designed to make BWC function as a finely tuned engine. Sure real life comes first, and sometimes staff members have to take breaks, but there are back ups and back ups to the back ups, and there is always someone who is in charge of making sure that the spots get filled.

What does this mean? This means that BWC actually has a team of dedicated STAFF members that guide new players through the entire recruitment process. We all have hiccups and misunderstandings on the internet, sure. But the BWC staff members make the real difference here. Thorough posts on everything you need to do, with links and everything. Sometimes even pictures! And did I mention that there are STAFF members that will actually take the time to sit with you in TS3 and walk you through everything? It was really bizarre for a player like me who has seen all kinds of amazing gaming clans rise and fall through the years. I've never encountered anything like this. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you are still here reading this, you might remember where I mentioned Training. Yes. Training. BWC actually has Training that is designed to get recruits from the brand new to the BWC and the Game to full fledged members and members that are actually decent at the game. We have STAFF that conducts TRAINING? And I don't mean your run of the mill "Set your "blah" to push to talk, and press p to join a squad. Now don't shoot anyone in the back." I mean in-depth training that takes you from step 0 to fully familiarized with the game and the BWC.

Are you already a badass at the game that you joined BWC to play? Fine. The Training will be simple and easy. But it will still require you to spend some time to learn the BWC Specific things and how we do stuff (which might be slightly different from what you are used to) as a cohesive unit.And I noticed that even though some of the training seemed tedious at times, it did help get everyone (including me) on the same page. And if you've ever seen a highly trained unit conduct a complex coordinated offensive operation, you know that the key difference between trained and untrained, was everyone being on the same page. It's really important that you have the same training that everyone gets so that everyone is able to work as a team. It just works better when everyone knows what they are doing. And within my first month I was able to see just how lethal a little bit of training can be in a video game.

Chain of Command. I've seen many gaming groups that had a chain of command. I mean what 50 year old divorced fat guy doesn't want to be able to yell at a bunch of gamers on his computer and tell them how much they suck at raiding? Well in BWC that's not what Chain of Command means. It's much closer to the military or a corporate leadership chain. And no, I don't mean in the sense that you lose all your rights and they yell at you and make you cut your hair. I mean that there is always someone's boss that will make sure you are being taken care of in the BWC way. There is a way to treat people, and BWC has a finely tuned and structured way of doing it. Have a gripe? Pass it up the chain, trust me, it will be taken seriously and looked into. Even if it turns out you were wrong, you probably won't catch flak for making a polite and professional legitimate complaint. And if you were right and justified, the situation will be handled. The point here is that the BWC actually has a Chain of Command that takes care of it's members and ensures that everyone is having fun... and winning.

And that was just my first impression from the first month...

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC.

I am just now coming to the end of my first month with BWC. I have found the people in the outfit to be passionate gamers, likeable people and fun to be around. The organization and teamwork have served to make my gameplay experiences more fun. These are people I want to know better. I find myself motivated to explore ways to help the group succeed.

BWC does require a little commitment upon joining. When I enrolled, I had to attend orientation and basic training courses. The welcome package, and the instructors who handled those trainings were my first real encounter with the unit; their professionalism and the fact that syllabi actually existed impressed me. I'm sure you will be as well, if you choose to join.

My first impressions within the first month of starting with BWC:

I expected good communications and teamwork. I expected people to be on when I was on. What I didn't expect, that shocked me, was the in-house operations! BWC has enough membership where we can play ops within our own membership that have specific rules, specific restrictions, and specific scenarios that you couldn't begin to do by trying to coordinate with other players! This really opened up my game for me, and increased my fun level to huge amounts. I also learned that there is a large organization structure run by a lot of volunteers who want to give back. A team as large as BWC doesn't run without the help of its members stepping up to fill key roles in a variety of ways. These were both pleasant surprises, but now I can't see how I could play without them.

My first impressions within the first month of starting with BWC:

After a month with BWC, I knew I didn't want to go anywhere else. These guys had great senses of humor, a competitive presence that could not be denied, and the kind of structure and organization that told you they weren't going anywhere for a long time. I had never been in a team-oriented gaming company before, sure, I've done the guild thing, but that was more of a zerg herded by some kind of leader than an actual team. The sheer amount of awesome of a large-scale operation lead by actual leaders, with a massive amount of players, each organized into squads that have their own specializations and their own goals once it starts just can't be described in words. Having experienced that, I just can't do with anything less.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC

BWC has a great admin/training group. My first impression was wow I post a application, and minutes later I am contacted with steps to fulfill recruit training requirements. This must of been one of those one time rare cases right? Nope, I was assigned a trainer/sponsor that checked in with me, answered questions I had. Then to top it off, I sign up for training events that are constantly being ran to improve/hone my skills and knowledge of the game. Professional and organized is a certainty with BWC.

First impressions within the first month of starting with BWC.

I was really impressed by how welcoming everyone was. I was worried about how I would do since I have never been in the military and structure being military in style. BWC as a group were patient with me in my training (trust me that is saying something!). There are some real knowledgeable and skilled people running the training. The large-scale operations were and are impressive.

My first impressions within the first month of starting with BWC:

I am still within my first month of BWC, but I completely love the community so far. The planetside 2 command structure and leadership team is an amazing group of individuals that will sit down with you one on one to discuss game tactics or shoot the **** with you outside of operations. They are humorous and smart, which keeps me interested and coming back to the community day after day. The Star Citizen and MWO groups are also very organized and, while fun to play with, they also do work.

After a month in BWC, I could not believe how awesome everything was run. I felt a part of the team and the team definitely welcomed me and wanted me to be apart of it. It was amazing to see BWC members taking care of other members, who have never seen or known each other at all in real life. The charities that BWC helps and donates to, totally surprised me. I could not believe the actual help and benefit this organization has been to real life organizations and charities, outside of gaming. This family that is BWC, is beyond amazing and there is nothing else like this. Yes we play games, but we also care and give to help others.

First Impressions during my first month in BWC:

At first, to be honest, I had to completely adjust the way I played Planetside 2. Prior to BWC I was more of a lone-wolf, finding targets of opportunity and throwing myself into the largest fights with no intention of winning, only of farming the enemy. I would look for bases that were about to be lost and spawn there, so I could find a hiding place and kill the enemy in large numbers as they lowered their guard and prepared to move to the next base.

BWC actually plays to win and doesn't sit around trying to farm the enemy without purpose. My first month was a complete re-learning of how to play PS2, and entailed applying my in-game skill to actual strategy and teamwork. During that time, I found leaders who recognized my own talents and quickly got me connected with like-minded players who enjoy playing infiltrator. Despite having to make big changes to the way I played the game, I also knew that the outfit valued talented individuals and knew how to make good use out of them.

By the end of that month, I was running with BWC squads regularly, and playing a new type of infiltrator. I was quickly being moved into more tactical leadership positions and began leading squads of other infiltrators. I knew that I had a future in this outfit, and the game had never been more exciting and fun until I experienced it with an outfit.

As I was going through the application process for BWC, I had high hopes for what I would find. I also had a few reservations - this was my first experience with a gaming organization that brands itself prominently with the military veteran label, and I wasn't exactly sure what that was going to translate to in-game.

What I found put all my concerns to rest almost immediately. From the very first 24 hours where I was pulled into Teamspeak for a short interview, every single member of the BWC Command & Staff has been unfailingly professional and dedicated in every interaction I've had with them. Instead of a bunch of high-strung egos, I found a group of people committed to mutual respect - the SOP specifically prohibits slurs of all kinds! - and dedicated to their games of choice. BWC is more structured than any outfit or guild I've seen; not beauracratic structure that prevents anything from getting done, but an efficient division of labor that ensures that the entire thing "just works". And did I mention the standing "no drama" policy?

I've been around the internet long enough to know a special community when I see it, and by the end of my first month I was convinced that BWC is the real deal.