Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Fellow Members,

The NWC Administrators are discussing the implementation of a new group of members to the club called Associate Members. This group would join the club but not be part of any army structure. They would have access to the basic club forums but not the Army forums. They would be able to post for games and play with any other member including other Associate Members. They would be listed in the DoR. Regular members would receive points as per usual. They would be considered fights. Points and rank would not be relevant for an Associate Member. Associate Members would have their battle activity recorded in the DoR.

The purpose and goal is to open up the club to those who are not interested in role playing. They could contribute to the forums and increase the number of available opponents. Once they become more familiar with the Club they might want to join an Army for the prestige of rank, medals and awards and the camaraderie.

All appropriate club rules would apply to them as per any regular member.

We are working on this at this time. We would be interested in your comments.

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General en Chef Pierre D.
La Grande Armee
25ème Régiment de Dragons,
Détachement de la 3ème Corps d'Armée,
3ème Corps d'Armée

Personnaly i would prefer everyone in an army with ranks etc or no one in an army but a club players meet only for games so on without role playing ... mixture is interesting but up to admins of the club course.
Company of Engineers are needed always tho

They could be enrolled in some of the minor countries that changed side.

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Général David Guegan

3ème Régiment de Grenadiers - Bataillon d'élite du 3ème Légère
2ème Brigade
Grenadiers de la Réserve
Réserve
La Grande Armée
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"From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step."
Napoléon Bonaparte

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
Groucho Marx

There are people that might not want to associate with an army, but simply play the games; there are others that might only like the historical discussions and do not want to play.

This is an attempt to get more members and more people involved.

Generally, there are many people out there that play these games, solo, and maybe we can tap into that pool by opening the club to anyone interested in the period.

This is another way to generate more activity and get more members into the club.

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Ernie Sands
1ère Brigade of 2ème Division de Grosse Cavalerie, Réserve de Cavalerie
de la Grande Armée
President, Colonial Campaigns Club

To me this is contrary to the idea of the club but lately the role playing is virtually non existent most likely due to the bar brawl in this tavern this year.
So I would guess most members will be unworried by such a development as the club has changed in that direction anyway.
Just my observation.

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Marechal Knox

Prince d'Austerlitz et Comte d'Argentan
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur

"What is history but a fable agreed upon"

Colin,

I hear what you are saying but moving the club towards a non-role playing club is not the goal. The purpose is to expose the club to more hobby enthusiast who may be reluctant to join without seeing what it is first about or to join in a limited way. This is a way to do that. A point that was brought up is that people join and leave after a game or two but require the full attention of the support staff, training etc. within the Armies. This may help people who are not sure about the club and need some exposure to it before they dive in. You must agree that we cater to the hardcore group. Maybe we can convert some of the less hardcore and mentor them in.

It will not cater to ladder enthusiast because points will not be relevant to their membership.

I was the one who came up with the concept of a Club with Armies instilling a social climate compared to ladder clubs that do not. I still believe this makes the club interesting and has provided longevity of the club and will continue to do so.

I am very hopeful, as well as the other admins, that this will provide interesting exposure and increase our clubs vitality.

Role playing is the core of our club.

Thank you for your thoughts.

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General en Chef Pierre D.
La Grande Armee
25ème Régiment de Dragons,
Détachement de la 3ème Corps d'Armée,
3ème Corps d'Armée

Personally I like the overall idea, it could be a way to get those persons in here that can evolve and later convert to a "real member".
As now not even the training is mandatory anymore it is beneficial to have a way to get new members in without forcing them at the start to decide on anything not even the Army they want to be in but to simply let them settle in for some months till they hopefully become a real member.

Of course a clear distinction should be made so that the real membership isn't watered-down in any way.
That they are not getting rank, medals and awards is good, another prohibited thing should be voting, "Associate Members" should not be able to vote on anything here.

It almost seems like adding to a subscription model a free-to-play model as it is widely done in the MMO scene.
And just like in the MMO scene we have to be careful not to flush the core members away by giving to much to the "Associate Members" and to make sure the core gets the room, attention and support that they needed.
If that is achieved we will see 2 different kinds of membership that can benefit from each other and this will benefit the whole club.

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The hope is that the Associate Member will play the games and get interested enough to join the regular club.

We have new people, now, that go through training and drop out before that is over or shortly after completing training. That happens now. This is a way to, perhaps, give new members an insight to the club by actually participating. They have no commitment to remain, but neither do new regular members. Regular members start games and disappear, so some Associate members might do the same thing; we have NO WAY to control that, as RL almost always trumps game life.

But, it is even a way for current regular members to retain contact within the club, when RL forces them to slow down or drop games and/or drop the club.

The FLAVOR, philosophy of the club is UNCHANGED; this effort is merely another effort to help to retain members AND generate new members.

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Ernie Sands
1ère Brigade of 2ème Division de Grosse Cavalerie, Réserve de Cavalerie
de la Grande Armée
President, Colonial Campaigns Club

The Associate Member would not have any voting privileges.

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Ernie Sands
1ère Brigade of 2ème Division de Grosse Cavalerie, Réserve de Cavalerie
de la Grande Armée
President, Colonial Campaigns Club

I have to say I like the way this going, and I echo Christian, Pierred and Ernie, that this is the way forward, and the club can only benefit from this and I think in no way does this take away the core values of the club. My hat is off to those who came up with idea, as it is another way in which this club is now moving forward. Basically fill in a registration form and start playing (plug and play style) and if you like and want more join up and get the better experience. I'm all for it, but a trial period would be good and maybe as someone suggested put these associate members into an army of a minor state or country which fought against both sides and give them a unit but nothing else.

I personally would use this to bolster ranks of whatever side they like, even though I would like to see III Corps, LGA ranks filling, in fact we all could take an active role in recruiting then.

Thumbs up from me

Gentlemen
I think for myself that this is a wonderful idea ,I have to admit that when TS#2 & TS#3 came here in Iceland I fell in love ,Gettysburg and then the great one "Waterloo" opportunity to move Napoleons armies ,its units and the different colours of the cavalry the line ,light and guard units ,the phases and especially the opportunity to have leaders present on the map with units that I think was a charm.
After countless fighting I realized that the only fault was the AI and I noticed on the internet that players where forming clubs ,having newer been member in on-line community or some ladder club I thought no way I'm joining some binding thing like a club with some requirement to muster and the role playing ,and to have to turn in many files per week was to me a way big thing ,what if the most valued thing in most peoples life's "Time" will be wasted here and to commit to play for many weeks or months (one turn was not so fast then) is clearly time consuming and the burden to take on the role playing and to insult someone by accident because of different language ,understanding ,culture ,upbringing and personality ,those things where big in my mind.
Also like before "Time" club would be competing with family ,work ,friends ,hobby and all else and the disappointment by ones opponent over late turn in of files or what if not able to finish the battle as the opponent is spending the same valued time on it and that should be respected.
I have quit on lot of battles as often time has simply been to little ,but lot of players I have played for many years and all of my opponents I have the utmost respect for and I have enjoyed the time here at the club immensely ,I have made many friends and I have great memory's from here ,I have skipped registering half of my games and in most games I loose ,as I am not so good player but I feel something special sitting down and looking over the battlefield looking at the leaders ,the units ,the landscape ,the colours of the units and its formation and layout.
This game is about the historic feel, tactics ,friendship and last but not lest the chance to take another human on in a game and ether have the better of him or take the loss.
I usually loose ,but I enjoy every game all the same.
For me it is the thrill of taking a part in a historic battle and thinking of myself as a actual commander of the time and the troops as a real soldiers in the field (good help them if they would have had me at the helm ;o)) ,but also the best thing I have had from the club is the friends ,not like I don't have some here in little Iceland ,but to play with someone for months or years is something special ,to get news of daughters ,girlfriends ,troubles and all things outside the games themselves.
For sure real life at home ,wife ,kids ,work and all kinds of trouble may affect the games but one always gets in his special world of guns ,swords and charges when turning on the computer and looking for a mail from the other side ;o).

I could so easily have missed out on all of that do to my hesitation to start joining the club.
I can easily see myself as a possible member wanting to try but not really sure if willing to commit.
I'm all for outsiders having the opportunity to try-out and testing and for me that is one of the ways to expand this great club.
The club is commitment and that is spending "Time" competing in time against all other thing we need to do and value.

I have to say I value every minute I have spent here
I love you all !!

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Général de Division Einar Jon Masson

You see Gentlemen never was it put so well.

Great Einar