Tolshortte [648554] —
Original article
Find out how low-statted players can be useful to factions in chaining, territories and general combat thanks to the way Torn City has evolved in recent years.
As a player of over ten years, I've seen many new faces arrive in Torn City. Some of these people prosper and go on to achieve great things. Many do not, with a common complaint being that it is hard for newcomers to establish themselves in a game where only those with high stats and fat stacks are deemed useful.
But even if that were ever true, it certainly isn't today.
Thanks to the changes made to chaining and warring, newer and younger players are now extremely important. The problem is, most newcomers aren't aware of their own value, and nor are the factions who could be making use of them. It is time for that to change.
In the past, Torn was ruled by battle stats. New players were often a liability to their factions with their lowly attributes, and there was no real way for them to contribute outside of organised crimes and errand running. In wars, their limited capabilities became extremely obvious.
Pictured: Little Timmy was brave, enthusiastic, and dead within minutes.
This lack of involvement in mainstream faction activities subsequently kept new players from enjoying team play, specials and the other great things factions have to offer, spending most of their time in the hospital while being used as a chain filler. As a result, many greenhorns were often delegated to a lesser faction - that no longer needs to be the case.
Let's take territory wars for example. Any player with fingers or a dexterous alternative digit can click "join" as effectively as an older player with much higher stats. It still costs 25 energy to have them removed, no matter how weak these players are. Likewise, new players can med out and rejoin just like an older player, and they can soak up E as well as anyone else too. This means their effort is worth something. Battle stats only tell part of the story. A new player's value to a faction is immeasurable if they are willing to be part of a team.
Then, of course, there is chaining. The pool of chain targets was once limited to the warbase. Now this is no longer true, lower-statted players can help raise the chain counter as well. You may need to help them with Xanax, points, and advice regarding their role, but newcomers are more than capable of contributing greatly to a faction's chain count and respect gains.
New recruits can also protect a chain effectively. Chain breaks are a numbers game, with the coordination of attacking and holding players being the key factor. New players represent additional targets who are quite capable of continuing the chain as they soak up E, med out, and continue onward. They also create additional targets which must be held to complete a chain break, making their value in the chaining scene equally as important as any other player.
Yet still, such players and their leaders aren't aware of their real value. Too often do you hear, "but my stats are too low".
Pictured: A hundred duck-sized horses proving my point...I think.
This brings us to the most basic fighting dynamic in Torn, single target fights. When several weaker players take on one stronger opponent, it is always a case of the more the merrier. A newcomer's attacks may bounce off the target like a fly punching Jupiter, but being ready to aid teammates with smoke and stat reduction mechanics is a crucial contribution in itself.
Their willingness to help older, stronger players take on ultra-tough opponents adds to the value of a newbie even more, while also helping to form a camaraderie between different generations of players. Assisting is a very strong tactic and is useful to all factions, especially those still climbing the ladder. And on a personal level, new players can use these tactics to earn honors and merits for their efforts!
Factions also need players to just play the game. Energy and nerve spent by new players counts like any others towards unlocks. Flying, using cans, reviving, or whatever it is your faction does will benefit from new players being active. Every time they take a step progressing their own character, players help the faction towards being stronger - their contributions go beyond chaining and warring.
Then there is the basic point of a team, solidarity. New players can stand together as effectively as anyone. Regardless of who is going after them with bounties or territory assaults, a determined group of comrades working for each other always represents a considerable adversary. In fact, new players can say this louder than older players. Their dedication and will shows an opposing faction that no matter what, the team won't be broken. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Pictured: See also, spiderwebs, ant colonies, and an army of toddlers.
Last but not least, let us not forget the entire point of Torn, fun. New players are real people, each with their own personalities and traits. They all bring a new flavor to a team and to the game as a whole. When these newbies start to achieve things their excitement is contagious, raising feelings of excitement which older players may have forgotten. We veterans get so caught up in watching our little numbers go up that sometimes we lose sight of why we started in the first place. New players reignite that fire and remind us of why we are all here.
In short, I think it's time that new players and those who aren't necessarily the strongest start to realize their value to factions and the game as a whole. Players who are willing to invest their time and effort into being a part of a team are essential to the success of any faction. High stats are nice, but at the end of the day, a player with limitless effort and determination is worth their weight in Gold AKs.
So what can new players do to show their value? Activity is the most important trait you can demonstrate, so log on regularly and spend that energy and nerve like it's going out of fashion. Also, make sure you are willing to listen to and learn from those players who came before you. It might be tempting to try some things that sound fun, but make sure to stay on the path already forged while you experiment. The rules of progression can be broken, but only if you understand why they're there in the first place.
Furthermore, you'll always benefit from hooking up with a good group of people who you have fun with - even the most galling faction defeat can be fun if experienced with the right people. But remember, these players don't exist solely to guide you, so help them out whenever you can, and be a good teammate. You never know, your kind deeds may lead to a job opportunity or a faction invite in the future.
Pictured: You're the guy whose smokebombs saved my bacon? Let's add another 100k onto that daily pay.
Factions must also do their bit too - not that newbies are a charity case, of course. By investing in new players you are investing in your own faction's future. They may not have all the resources you often take for granted or overlook, but they can be moulded into the kind of players your faction needs. Teach them how to get to where you want to go, but don't forget they have their own aspirations too.
It's also likely that experienced faction leaders will know how to utilize newbies in ways they don't even know about. The teamwork element of Torn is one of the best aspects of the game, so use your knowledge to help new players feel important by being important - tiny stats mean nothing in some situations.
But perhaps the most important thing we can all gain from new players is the ability to learn from them. As I said earlier, after so many years in Torn City, sometimes we can all forget the small things we used to enjoy as we progress through the ranks. Allow these newcomers to remind you of your goals and sense of fun, and who knows, you may rediscover a hidden part of Torn which makes you feel like a brand new player all over again.
But even if that were ever true, it certainly isn't today.
Thanks to the changes made to chaining and warring, newer and younger players are now extremely important. The problem is, most newcomers aren't aware of their own value, and nor are the factions who could be making use of them. It is time for that to change.
In the past, Torn was ruled by battle stats. New players were often a liability to their factions with their lowly attributes, and there was no real way for them to contribute outside of organised crimes and errand running. In wars, their limited capabilities became extremely obvious.
Pictured: Little Timmy was brave, enthusiastic, and dead within minutes.
This lack of involvement in mainstream faction activities subsequently kept new players from enjoying team play, specials and the other great things factions have to offer, spending most of their time in the hospital while being used as a chain filler. As a result, many greenhorns were often delegated to a lesser faction - that no longer needs to be the case.
Let's take territory wars for example. Any player with fingers or a dexterous alternative digit can click "join" as effectively as an older player with much higher stats. It still costs 25 energy to have them removed, no matter how weak these players are. Likewise, new players can med out and rejoin just like an older player, and they can soak up E as well as anyone else too. This means their effort is worth something. Battle stats only tell part of the story. A new player's value to a faction is immeasurable if they are willing to be part of a team.
Then, of course, there is chaining. The pool of chain targets was once limited to the warbase. Now this is no longer true, lower-statted players can help raise the chain counter as well. You may need to help them with Xanax, points, and advice regarding their role, but newcomers are more than capable of contributing greatly to a faction's chain count and respect gains.
New recruits can also protect a chain effectively. Chain breaks are a numbers game, with the coordination of attacking and holding players being the key factor. New players represent additional targets who are quite capable of continuing the chain as they soak up E, med out, and continue onward. They also create additional targets which must be held to complete a chain break, making their value in the chaining scene equally as important as any other player.
Yet still, such players and their leaders aren't aware of their real value. Too often do you hear, "but my stats are too low".
Pictured: A hundred duck-sized horses proving my point...I think.
This brings us to the most basic fighting dynamic in Torn, single target fights. When several weaker players take on one stronger opponent, it is always a case of the more the merrier. A newcomer's attacks may bounce off the target like a fly punching Jupiter, but being ready to aid teammates with smoke and stat reduction mechanics is a crucial contribution in itself.
Their willingness to help older, stronger players take on ultra-tough opponents adds to the value of a newbie even more, while also helping to form a camaraderie between different generations of players. Assisting is a very strong tactic and is useful to all factions, especially those still climbing the ladder. And on a personal level, new players can use these tactics to earn honors and merits for their efforts!
Factions also need players to just play the game. Energy and nerve spent by new players counts like any others towards unlocks. Flying, using cans, reviving, or whatever it is your faction does will benefit from new players being active. Every time they take a step progressing their own character, players help the faction towards being stronger - their contributions go beyond chaining and warring.
Then there is the basic point of a team, solidarity. New players can stand together as effectively as anyone. Regardless of who is going after them with bounties or territory assaults, a determined group of comrades working for each other always represents a considerable adversary. In fact, new players can say this louder than older players. Their dedication and will shows an opposing faction that no matter what, the team won't be broken. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Pictured: See also, spiderwebs, ant colonies, and an army of toddlers.
Last but not least, let us not forget the entire point of Torn, fun. New players are real people, each with their own personalities and traits. They all bring a new flavor to a team and to the game as a whole. When these newbies start to achieve things their excitement is contagious, raising feelings of excitement which older players may have forgotten. We veterans get so caught up in watching our little numbers go up that sometimes we lose sight of why we started in the first place. New players reignite that fire and remind us of why we are all here.
In short, I think it's time that new players and those who aren't necessarily the strongest start to realize their value to factions and the game as a whole. Players who are willing to invest their time and effort into being a part of a team are essential to the success of any faction. High stats are nice, but at the end of the day, a player with limitless effort and determination is worth their weight in Gold AKs.
So what can new players do to show their value? Activity is the most important trait you can demonstrate, so log on regularly and spend that energy and nerve like it's going out of fashion. Also, make sure you are willing to listen to and learn from those players who came before you. It might be tempting to try some things that sound fun, but make sure to stay on the path already forged while you experiment. The rules of progression can be broken, but only if you understand why they're there in the first place.
Furthermore, you'll always benefit from hooking up with a good group of people who you have fun with - even the most galling faction defeat can be fun if experienced with the right people. But remember, these players don't exist solely to guide you, so help them out whenever you can, and be a good teammate. You never know, your kind deeds may lead to a job opportunity or a faction invite in the future.
Pictured: You're the guy whose smokebombs saved my bacon? Let's add another 100k onto that daily pay.
Factions must also do their bit too - not that newbies are a charity case, of course. By investing in new players you are investing in your own faction's future. They may not have all the resources you often take for granted or overlook, but they can be moulded into the kind of players your faction needs. Teach them how to get to where you want to go, but don't forget they have their own aspirations too.
It's also likely that experienced faction leaders will know how to utilize newbies in ways they don't even know about. The teamwork element of Torn is one of the best aspects of the game, so use your knowledge to help new players feel important by being important - tiny stats mean nothing in some situations.
But perhaps the most important thing we can all gain from new players is the ability to learn from them. As I said earlier, after so many years in Torn City, sometimes we can all forget the small things we used to enjoy as we progress through the ranks. Allow these newcomers to remind you of your goals and sense of fun, and who knows, you may rediscover a hidden part of Torn which makes you feel like a brand new player all over again.
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