The Origin Of Clan Silent Dragons
In 1995, fans of combat simulation games and Battletech novels converged on the Mplayer gaming site to play the multiplayer version of Mechwarrior2, titled "Netmech". Clans based on Battletech lore and traditions were quickly formed as the game's popularity continued to rise among online gamers. It wasn't long until 2000+ gamers filled the Mplayer's Mechwarrior2 lobby and even thousands more filled the same lobbies of other gaming sites, such as Kali and Heat. During the latter half of 1997, avid Netmech players, Sniper, Lichlord, Reber, and Vendetta, joined forces to form a new clan called the Silent Dragons.
Respect to all members, honor on the battlefield, and love of the game were the main recruiting tools for the founding members. Not only did they bring in skilled veterans but they weren't afraid to invest time and patience in training novice players as well. These positive recruiting techniques proved to solidify the foundation of the clans and the loyalty of its members. By 1999, the Silent Dragons became one of the largest Mechwarrior2 clans on Mplayer with over 60 active warriors.
Due to the release of newer games, such as Tribes2 and Mechwarrior3, and a plague of cheating programs, the Mechwarrior2 community began to dwindle. The the proverbial nail in coffin came when Mplayer announced it had sold out to Gamespy and the Mechwarrior2 lobby would be closed after the transfer of ownership. The community was crippled by this bombardment but the loyalty of the Silent Dragons went unphased. Looking to the horizon, SD loyalists Maximus, Concorde, and Torpedo retired from Mechwarrior2 to open a new SD clan in the Mechwarrior3 community.
The recruitment drive began in January of 2000 on the Microsoft gaming site, The Zone, for the new expansion clan. Using the same traditions and honor code, SD:Mw3 grew to 50 warriors strong within six months. After the end of their first complete month of league competition, the Silent Dragons won the BattleZONE Championship for the month of July, 2000.
As the Mplayer doors closed for good in the Spring of 2001, the Mechwarrior2 members made preparations to move all operations to the recently released Mechwarrior4 community. As with Mechwarrior3, the new gaming lobby was hosted on The Zone. But the move proved stressful as members from both SD clans merged to compete in the Mechwarrior4 leagues. Tension within the ranks grew rapidly due to the abundance of clan leaders and the limited amount of leadership positions. Many longtime members refused to take a demotion and turned in their resignation. Resentment and distrust spread throughout the clan, forcing even more loyal members to leave the SD ranks. A year after its opening, SD:Mw4 had been completely abandoned.
Not accepting defeat, loyalists from the Mechwarrior3 clan took it upon themselves to rebuild the Mechwarrior4 ranks. Because of inferior gameplay, the community population began to dwindle at an alarming rate and this made recruiting efforts difficult for the newly established clan. Recruitment proved difficult but not impossible as memberships did eventually increase. The warrior count spiked dramatically in the Summer of 2002 when the SD:Mw3 closed and merged all remaining members to the struggling Mechwarrior4 clan.
Not wanting to relive history, efforts were again made to expand the Silent Dragons into other gaming communities. In August of 2001, recruiting for the newly formed Counter-strike clan began. The new battlefield proved to be a difficult adjustment for the honorbound warriors though. Loyal recruits were hard to find in a gaming community overrun by immaturity and cheating. In time, a dedicated core of warriors was established and were beginning to chalk up victories in both the Online Gaming League and the Cyberathletic Amateur League.
What started out as a small band of gamers getting together to play a dated wired-framed simulator has developed into multi-gaming, multi-national community of friends. Even with ages ranging from 9 to 56 and nationalities from both sides of the Atlantic, all Silent Dragon warriors share the same respect and loyalty to their fellow clansmen and the love of online gaming. Its because of these common aspects that the Silent Dragons have endured hardships and setbacks that would dissolve the average clan. SD has not only survived for almost a decade of existence, but expanded as well during that time. Online gaming history has shown that virtual battlefields constantly and quickly evolve from the influence of a growing market and faster technology. This history has also shown that the Silent Dragons will always have a place on these battlefields.
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