| Operation Barbarossa, an Inside Look | ||
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Operation Barbarossa was the largest event in Fighter Ace
and Zone history. It brought together 772 registered participants in an epic battle rarely seen in the online world and for that matter, the REAL world. How many occasions can you think of where an individual gets the opportunity to organize groups of this size? Outside of the actual military and private business, it is very rare and certainly never for a mere GAME.
What is it like to organize three or four hundred players within three weeks, knowing that the organization and plans you create will be tested in the crucible of virtual battle? Fortunately for Fighter Ace
and the Zone, there are people who are willing to take on this risky and monumental task.
VTAS_Sgt_Rock
was one who stepped up to the plate and socked it out of the park. As the winners of Operation Barbarossa, they had won the largest online event of its kind in history.
Hopefully, his account will inspire others to aspire to this pinnacle of Fighter Ace
flying. It should also help others to know what NOT to do during a scenario. In his own words, here are some of VTAS_Sgt_Rock's impressions of the epic that was Operation Barbarossa.
Overview
It was gratifying, frustrating, tedious, exhilarating, rewarding, frustrating (I said frustrating twice - well it was!), challenging, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. First we had to build a coalition of leaders from various squadrons, which normally are (at a minimum) competitive with each other. No petty inter-squad politics could be allowed to get in the way of victory. Toward this end, we contacted most of the organized squads which commonly fly GE, and invited them to lead the various sectors and squadrons. My squadron, VTAS, only led 3 of the 20 total squadrons for the GE side, for example. This sharing of leadership helped gain the trust of the squadrons and ensured their utmost commitment to the planning and execution stages of the campaign. This coalition approach led to a lack of a serious spat between any squadrons at any time during the planning and execution of the Operation. On the contrary, I had a sector commander from one respected and highly organized squadron, watching the Base Kill tactic employed in the regular Arcade arena executed by another squadron, and praising them. Organization Second, we held a preliminary conference call by telephone after review of the rules to discuss initial strategy and the rules. The call lasted two hours. We came to a rough consensus on a battle plan that would gain maximum points, while denying points to our opponents. This plan called "A" was then circulated for comment and further scrutiny. Based on feedback and differing ideas, a second plan, plan "B," was also circulated. Egos (including my own) had to be managed and dealt with and a fair hearing given to all points of view. Massive e-mail exchanges were involved. I estimate that at least 100 strategy e-mails were received by me alone as Air Marshall. That's emails discussing STRATEGY only! Hundreds more were sent and received in total. After much discussion the basic tenets of victory were agreed upon:
Though the vast majority of the players were sensitive to the problems and difficulties that we faced, there were a few who seemed not to understand, unwitting of the havoc they created. They fell in to a couple of major categories. There were the 11th hour air-chair generals. The best example of this is the e-mail I received from someone who didn't have a clue as to our battle plan, four hours AFTER we had already won, in a decisive victory: "Herr Commander, My opinion about your strategy is no good. The SU forces will not fly against our squadron, but will stay close to base, and will attack GE forces there over their own AA protection! Only after destroying the GE ground attack forces will the SU attack. A much better strategy is . . ." Then he set forth a close approximation to Plan "B." A second example of headaches was found with the ME ME ME creatures I encountered. Someone signs up for "regular pilot" then asks for a complete list of all personnel in "his" sector, with e-mails, ASAP (yea, I'll get right on that). Or someone wants you to brief them on the attack plan, so they can tell you how to do it better, when perhaps all they need do is follow their wingman. Another trying aspect of overall command was the Time Sucking Sponge phenomenon. These are the people who send you 16 Zone Messages in five minutes or invite you to a chat all without asking if you have a moment. In the end, it was mostly my squadron mates who bore the brunt of this, as they got a curt "Busy!" reply from me, due to the need to talk to (and thus not offend) the Sponge at issue. Rewards On the flip side, many, many pilots I have never met, nor even seen, sent their regards and thanks, for the fun aspects of the tournament my Staff had created. The original Orders in German, the Recon Web Page which held the maps of SU territory and the SU base, SPINS, etc. were all creations of the hard-working staffers. Practices were both rewarding and frustrating. On the rewarding side were the countless hellos and "attaboys" from those committed enough to practice their mission. On the frustrating side, seeing behavior in practice that would lead to defeat in battle created a sense of uncertainty, which threatened to overcome confidence in the plan. Could we execute it successfully? I asked myself that question more than once in the long period before the battle. Discipline was good overall and I only had to chat with a couple of individuals who were reported as "loose cannons" and "disruptive" by their squadron or sector commanders. In both cases, a positive "Can you help me win this?" or "I need you to do an important job" approach turned them into dedicated fliers. The good sportsmanship of the SU Air Marshal was also a rewarding aspect of this experience. Before the tournament we engaged in much good-natured ribbing, even betting lunch over the outcome. One hour before "H-hour," he demanded the German surrender. I sent him this response echoing the American response at Bastogne: "In response to your recent demand for surrender, and from the German Commander to the Soviet Commander: NUTS!" A not so surprising aspect of the command experience, was the seriousness with which @Kforce@FA , @Rapier@Zone and @Hdlshrsmn@Zone take Fighter Ace , which was in the beginning just a game for me. I have long since decided that Fighter Ace is more than a game, but was introduced to a whole new level of seriousness. This was also appreciated and acted on by myself and the SU Air Marshal during the two two-hour plus conference calls with FA and Microsoft. We all put a fair and historical reenactment first, instead of being obsessed with victory. Concessions were willingly made by all, keeping the player experience paramount. Game Day On game day, the Troops CAME THROUGH BIG. A breakdown in communications between hosts and players led to some serious anxiety in Frame 1, but the prompt and fair intervention by KForce, allowed better communications protocols and rule clarification to take place. I was really impressed that in a sector of 50-plus German pilots (many of whom are certainly under 18) the troops followed orders, stayed in formation, on their targets (some quoting Star Wars, "stay on target"..."He's getting behind us!"..."Stay on target") and hit them hard and fast. In Sector 4, Frame 1, I estimate the Base Kill took two minutes thirty seconds. Activity between the battles was fast paced and hectic as Zone Messages and ICQ messages flew. I utilized the help of two squadron mates with whom I conference called during the event. I had them help me respond to questions and further organize strategy. Sector Commander chats were held early and status reports obtained between frames. In my sector, Squadron Commanders de-briefed in a chat, and the plan was tweaked further for the next Frame (for example, after destroying the SU base in Frame 1, we decided to decline the FW190D aircraft, my boys having fallen in love with the FW190A8's firepower). Post Op After the results were announced, a "party" was thrown in a chat session, with most command staff and some "new friends" (new pilots who flew the wings of Staff and thus became friends) and assorted invitees also attending. Afterwards, one of my Sector 4 Squadron Commanders from the Midwest was so excited that we talked on the phone from 11:00 to 12:30 A.M. his time. All the ZMs of "Good job" and "Thank you" also made the headaches of nights past evaporate from my memory. A pre-battle post to the Newsgroup by PTR_ICE also got to me: "....VTAS_Sgt_Rock has done one amazing job with the GE side of Operation Barbarossa. The difference from my experience in Operation Barbarossa is far past my experience from my last event. I applaud his effort, and his sense of leadership and fairplay. I also thank his family (including his doggie) for sharing him with us over the last few weeks. Whether or not (and we will) win, I know the time Rock has spent coordinating this event has made me a believer in his leadership abilities." Thankfully, her prediction came true and we were victorious. Finally, as the night wound down after the battle, I returned after weeks away and much ignoring, to a love of mine: The Realistic Room. The Zone's Final Comment In the end, the experience of Operation Barbarossa and in Fighter Ace in general points to something beyond just a game. It gets inside us, inside our heads in that place where our imagination lives. And for a few short fun hours, that place of imagination for 700 people was filled with the radio cries of a titanic battle. Salute! See you all in the next one! --The MSN Gaming Zone |
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