Clans Chronicle

Issue Number 4 - Published February 22, 2009



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TWR Quick Info

Free To Play

  • F2P #1: Dragon Hunters
  • F2P #2: 'The'

Pay To Play (Frozen)

  • P2P #1: Red Blade Hunters
  • P2P #2: Valhalla

Latest Wars:
Latest wars are not included in this issue, since the Clan Staff is busy working on the new changes, and haven't been updating the TWR this weekend. However, they will be back with a vengeance next issue.

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In the Clan Board

A hot topic has gained popularity across every fansite. What clan would you rather join?

Teleblock is now under our control.

The Top 10/20/30 list now allows discussion. How far will users take it?

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The Return of the Clan Chronicle

By: Dbzruler72

There had always been a slight struggle to shell out articles in the past. One might ask why. For one, although the articles were what some would call a "good read," they rarely approached the level of interest and controversy needed to keep players entertained and informed. The current staff of the Clan Chronicle applaud the previous team, but now we must move on to a new chapter. From here on out, players will find each edition of the Clan Chronicle to be at least slightly contentious, informative, and geared more toward specific clans--all under the hood of unbias, of course. ;)

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The F2P World in Which We are Offered

By: lord_troyus

Well we're safely settling into the PVP worlds and I had to ask myself: Were we forced back into the deep wilderness with the “Old school” boundaries, hugging spots and returning tactics? The answer isn’t as straight forward as it may look. In some ways yes, and in other ways it was our decision. Let’s look at what the wilderness offers us:

Familiar scenery – Don’t you just love to be able to pick up and play as part of your clan even if you were out for a whole year.

Familiar Scenery

Fully multi combat – Well I am only talking about deep wilderness here. You don’t have to get the message that your target is already engaged in combat.

Bigger level limits – I think this is the deciding feature that we return for. The range of levels make it so that at a bare minimum any combat level 85+ player can attack the maximum of 126.

Level Limits

No teleporting – As above I am only considering deep wilderness (40+) and unfortunately for those who are piled you cannot use magic to leave this place. This means a target must only be held to ensure a kill.

Teleport

Not easy to return to – I’m sure a lot of you would disagree with this and say that it IS in fact easy to return to. But given that the closest bank (Bounty hunter) is several screens away, compared to Falador this is a very very long trek indeed.

Returning

Given this, not one other place offers the same key aspects that we are looking for. All have a vague sense of familiarity to us and may be a great spot for a smaller team or a lone PKer. But where else can we find all the redeeming features of the wilderness? Where else would our clans battle for pride and domination in the PvP world? Where else would you get that reminiscent feeling of every war you ever took part in within the old wilderness? Where else would you achieve the feeling of pride in your clan if you won or lost? The feeling of realizing that we took our near limitless freedom for granted when we stood waiting for our challengers. That very same feeling that you felt as you marched up to the deep wilderness with your clan for the first time in what felt like forever.

They say you only appreciate that which you have lost. For the clan world that it seems was true. Well, we have it back now.

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Battle of the Fansites

By: Dbzruler72

Note: for the sake of simplicity, the word "competition" will be used. If you are someone who does not think of it as a competition, so if that is you, replace any instances of the word with your own.

We are here, Zybez. We both know each other exist. As the two most popular fansites, we have natural competition. From my experience, users from both sides have hailed the quality of Tip.It's guides. On the other hand, the same users have considered Zybez as the center for clans; post a war win and that thread will surely receive hundreds of views even if it were locked. But we are not the only two.

Salmoneus' Realm and RuneHQ are our next biggest competitors. In the past, two other forums have gained large but short-lived popularity: Rune Legion and Epic Gamers. Rune Legion offered a similar atmosphere to RuneScape Community, while Epic Gamers had an extremely lax set of rules that allowed any amount of typed hate. As experienced groups, both Zybez and Tip.It clan staff have learned from the failures and continue to grow.

Which will ultimately "win"? It is likely that RuneScape Community, Tip.It, and Salmoneus' Realm will continue living, each taking their own dips and spikes. Clans are currently taking an active roll in Tip.It's Tip.It War Rankings, but RuneScape Community's activity towers its competition. As history has shown over and over again, clans move with each other.


Once a lively community, Rune Legion's clan leadership has become a quiet zone.

Rune Legion

RuneScape Community's clan activity is unmatched by any other.

Rune Community Clans

Tip.It's clan discussion activity has grown slowly but steadily.

Tipit Clans

Limited to mostly local clans, Sal's Realm has an active clan discussion.

Sals Clans

Known for its high activity and freedom of flaming, Epic Gamers now rests but may one day return.

Epic Gamers
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Spotlight On: The Gladiatorz

By: Dbzruler72
The Gladiatorz Banner

When was Gladz founded and why?

Joe Jenninz, Jerico, and Blaze Mace founded the Gladiatorz Clan in February of 2001. As to why we were founded, it had everything to do with fun, friendship, and mutual protection— a necessity in a time when the whole world of Runescape was open to player vs. player combat. I now defer to the paraphrased words of Joe Jenninz from May 6th, 2001, when asked a similar question, as this question really is the founders' to answer.

"Well, most must wonder, how did this [cabbage] all start?! Well, Jerico and I [Joe Jenninz] have always been with each other— childhood friends— but the missing link, Blaze Mace, was a different story. As a newbie, I was wandering around the Barbarian Village, when I met someone in Peska's Helmet Shop. As a newbie, I asked him if he had armor or something I could use. Blaze Mace answered that he could smith me armor, but I'd need some cash. Blaze left, and to no avail, I scurried off to make money. Out of the kindness of his heart, Blaze Mace gave me the armor for free, on the condition that I would try to give him some gold when I had some. Well, he did this for me numerous times, being as I died often as a newbie. Our friendship grew as we talked, fought, and walked together. Then Jerico came into the picture. Seeing my armor, he wanted some for himself. I asked Blaze for some, and secretly gave it to Jerico, but after a while of doing that, it got annoying. I finally introduced Jerico to Blaze Mace and we all started hanging out together. Time went by as the three of us trained and had a good time together. One day, Blaze came to me offering to make a clan. I agreed, and together with Jerico, we came up with the name Gladiatorz. After this, our then small clan voted me leader, Blaze Mace was named head smither, with Jerico as my second in command. That is the story of this all started... incase you wanted to know."

What has been the hardest obstacles to overcome since the birth of Gladz?

Around new years 2007, the clan nearly met it's demise. In fact, if it wasn't for our most dedicated core of members, it very well might have. Over the preceding months, rifts that had formed between groups within the clan, combined with the actions of some "bad-apple" ranking members, and some bad decisions by the leadership of the clan, caused a chain of events that led to a mass exodus of members. Most of the clan world thought that The Gladiatorz had finally met their end, but on the inside we did everything but give up hope. At the time the situation seemed miserable, but in retrospect, it was a huge opportunity for the clan. Under leadership both new and old, and with the support of our core of truly loyal members, we remodeled the clan. Making it through the darkest time in our history and coming out on top made us a stronger clan. We wouldn't have made it through it had we not bonded together and worked toward a common goal - the preservation and betterment of our clan, our home, our family. By the end of the summer of 2007, we faced 3v0luti0n X in war. The clan world predicted an effortless win for 3v0, but with superior tanking, piling, and overall organization, The Gladiatorz walked out with an easy victory. We were back. By the end of the year, with the defeat of the Lithuanian Forces, we had fought our way from the bottom of the barrel, back into the top 10 warring clans in RuneScape.

What is Gladz really about? Warring? Its members? Other?

What are we really about? Friendship, fun, community, loyalty, honor, respect, fighting, joking around, and the list goes on. There is no one aspect that drives us forward. We are a collection of people from all over the world who have found a mutual place to call home. Some of us shine on the battlefield, while others are masters of the art of brewing. I like to think that our versatility as a clan makes up some of the glue that has held us together and shown us so much success over the years.

What is special and unique about Gladz and what makes Gladz one of the strongest most lasting clans there's been in RuneScape?

Aside from our solid core of "Gladz for life" members, the main reason that we have remained a consistently large, successful clan over the past 7.5 years is the fact that we are always changing. Like most clans, we have a constant influx of new members who add their personalities to our mix, but at the same time, our clan has been able to evolve with Runescape and the desires of our members. We evolve so much that people who come back after only a year will find themselves as part of a new experience— except for one thing. That one thing, that thing that has been constant through our long years, is our strong sense of friendship and fun. We have members that come back after years of absence, and even if it takes some time to acclimate to the changes, they are able to immediately step back in and assimilate into the community. This is what keeps us strong. This is what makes being a Gladiator something special.

Rsc Gladiatorz

(The Alliance currently consists of 'The' Clan, Gladiatorz, Clan Jaguar & The Mighty Red Dragons, and it is the oldest and once strongest alliance in the game)

What have been some of the most special or amazing moments Gladz has ever had?

Every generation of Gladiator (and there are a lot of generations) would no doubt give a different answer to that. We all have memories of posts, people, and events from the clan that we will carry with us for years to come, if not the rest of our lives. But the "moments" that everyone can generally agree on are the times leading up to official wars and then the wars themselves. The following is a quote from an unknown person who was not even in our clan:

"Oh, I am sure it will be a good fight, but see, the Gladiators have something about them. Before every war, they seem to get it... This pride. It's really awesome to see it. When The Gladiatorz go to face an opponent, they are virtually unstoppable. Not because they have 230+ members, not because their HP average is 85+, but because when they set to do something, it happens.
I think that if DI had showed up at that war, they would have been crushed.
Where do we get all our war strategies from? Where do we get half of the RS clan history from? What made or broke clans?

The Gladiatorz."

As someone who has been in the clan all its long years, I can vouch for that. I only wish others could experience the clan as we did leading up to and then the post-DS war period, where we took our place as the number one warring clan in RuneScape. It doesn't get much more amazing or special than that.

What is the longest war and why did it last so long?

I have no idea! However, we can tell you that many of the old wilderness "run-ins" would last for hours on end. Members of both clans would return after death until their banks ran dry, and then return some more. Because of the tremendous drain on player wealth, we usually limited "returning" fights to once-per-week, and kept our other fights as regular PK trips or arranged mini-wars.

What is the most epic win Gladz has ever had?

Without a doubt, the most amazing war we have ever had was the war against the Dark Slayers in 2006 for the #1 warring rank. They were the number 1 clan at the time. Unbeatable before we warred them, and unbeaten after, all the way until their closure. Once again, we were predicted to lose, but when the war commenced, there were 160 DS members facing an unprecedented 220 Gladiatorz. The Dark Slayers put up an amazing fight and kept the war exciting until the end, where The Gladiatorz stood victorious. We had taken our place as the number one warring clan in RuneScape.

What has made Gladz stay alive so long?

We have, and have always had, an enduring core of endlessly loyal members. These people don't just say "Gladz for life"— they mean it. Not just our original members from 2001 who still stick with us, even though they haven't played RuneScape for years, this core has shifted and evolved, including active and retired RuneScapers from all ages of our clan, and some of our newest members, in whom you can still see that spark. That flame. A clan is nothing without its members.

Birthday Gladz

Who has been your worst rival?

To put a play on one of the catch phrases that has defined us through the years ("Power comes and goes, but greatness is forever"), rivals come and go, but The Gladiatorz are forever. We've had quite a few rivals over the past seven and a half years, must of whom have died out!

Over the years we have had many, many rivals, some fun enemies, and many malicious ones. To name a few others from the past 7.5 years (not in chronological order): Sabres (later became allies), Death Corps, Dark Sabres, Mystic Dynasty, Mystic Knights, BDK, Zeonic Force, and Dark Slayers.

More recently, after The Black Knights left The Alliance in 2005, they decided that we had been holding them back and that we were their enemies and rivals. Things got pretty nasty from both sides after a prominent BK member spread some lies about us through their clan. There was a series of skirmishes and run-ins that culminated in a full out war. With the largest single clan turnouts in clan-world history by both sides, BK were the last men standing on the battlefield. We later found out that BK had cheated, but that was after the fact. After that, BK slumped to the point where they couldn't compete with us on any scale. A bit later, in addition to cheating and such in a few fights, BK tried to crash a Gladz war, so we blacklisted them for their skullduggery. A few months back in the CWPL, we had agreed to make an exception and fight them again. The fight was set and ready to go, and the clan community at large was hyped up for the fight, but a few days before the fight was to take place, BK dropped out of the league and refused to honor our fight. Thus reaffirming their spot on our blacklist.

How does Gladz handle flaming and/or other types of negative situations?

We have a strict warning/punishment system that helps us weed out the undesirables. Offenders either learn to control themselves, or are shown the door. We pride ourselves on having a positive community.

What is your main message to the community regarding Gladz? If you could tell the community anything to help them, what would it be?

There is no victory without sacrifice. No success without failures. In the words of J. K. Rowling, "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."

(All images in this interview are from the image archives on The Gladiatorz' website.)

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Clans In History

Tip.It was once the center in the clan community; for years it was the undisputed clan fansite. However, over time the staff and forum procedures began to change. The clan community felt that overly strict rules, abusive staff who unfairly banned both clan leaders and members, excessive locking, and biased moderating made Tip.It unsuitable for clans forums needs, as a result clans began looking elsewhere for clan support. The ultimate downfall of Tip.It for clans ended in the temporary closure of the clan forums, which was a result of an ill planned and thought out "punishment" for the users.

Most, if not all, of the data from ScapeBoard is long gone, and disciplinary actions from that time frame are largely non-existent. Some of the users who had been disciplined for whatever reasons, valid or not, ventured back to tip.it and some are even in staff positions.. Let it be known the current staff of Tip.It are unbiased and want to implement a clan community - for the users - by the users. We strive to maintain a fair, balanced environment and although we are not proud of our clan past in it's entirety, we will not deny it. In fact, some of the threads are still around in our archives.

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TWR – changes ahead

By: Laikrob

The Tip.It War Rankings are up for some changes, and this is your chance to find out about them before they happen.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, the Tip.It War Rankings are a list of RuneScape clans that fight each other for points, position and glory. Several fan sites have a similar list; some of you might have heard about the RAW list, for example. The activity on Tip.It’s list has been increasing, but there are always things that can be improved. The incentive for smaller clans to fight clans with larger member lists just hasn’t been big enough, and some of the rules have been in dire need of updates and clarification. Some clans used all kinds of creative excuses to avoid wars that weren’t sure wins, and others had problems getting enough wars.

The good news is that this time TWR clans aren’t just getting quick fixes on issues that they have brought up. To make the “new” TWR as good as possible, the Clan Staff sent out surveys to the clan leaders or warlords involved to get opinions and suggestions directly from the source. The Clan Improvement Council and the Conclave also gave some solid input. The TWR suggestions sticky, every TWR related topic from all over the forums and the surveys were all thoroughly read and compressed from more than 20 pages down to one finished page of suggested changes.

TWR Information

The most important thing on the list is a whole new point system, which will encourage more wars. Even if a team is likely to lose, they can still get valuable points and war experience. The payback for fighting clans with a higher combat and starting number than yourself will be radically increased, and should solve the many discussions about matched or capped wars. This also means that activity will be rewarded to a higher degree, making rank hugging difficult.

Declining when you haven't warred in the last week will now be harder; only a few valid reasons (leadership change, forum hacked/information loss) will be accepted unless the declining clan wants a huge chunk of points deducted. As mentioned already, the new point system should more than make up for that, though. Reasons that aren’t valid include being busy, uneven member lists, previous disagreements with a clan or inability to settle on war rules / time / date. What many people don’t know is that the Clan Staff can help you negotiate if you have problems agreeing on the war details; they don’t only settle disputes about broken rules after they have happened.

There will also be more Clan Staff to update the TWR list itself, because it hasn’t been updated as often as it should have been. In addition to that, there are a lot of smaller rules updates and clarifications which will be mentioned when they get implemented. This was just a sneak preview for those of you reading the Clan Chronicle.

What’s in store for the TWR in the future? Well, there are more clans than ever on the lists, and the Tip.It Clan website would be a good place to expand a little. There is a recruitment drive for new Crew members, and who knows what they could do with some more time on their hands to show off the glory of the top TWR clans?

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Sneak Peek

In the next issue of the Clan Chronicle, a new feature will be released. The focus will be on clan leaders themselves. Think you've got it hard? You have no idea. There will also be a little something about skilling clans, we know that some of you have requested that.

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Chronicle Credits

Dbzruler72 - Clan Moderator
Laikrob - Clan Moderator
lord_troyus - Chronicle Author
tripsis - Chronicle Editor


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RuneScape 2007
Find this page on the Internet Archive with a date as close to Aug 10, 2007 as possible.

Will you use Menaphos to train your skills?



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