howyadoin [2031433] —
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In this edition of Faction Focus, we interview the leader of one of Torn's up and coming sides to find out how to start a faction from scratch and keep out of trouble during your earliest days.
In this week’s Faction Focus we're going to hear from one of Torn's newer factions, BoOtcaMp, which celebrated its first birthday in June. Although BoOtcaMp is still relatively green, it has the distinction of rising into the ranks of the top 500 Hall of Fame factions within its first year. They currently sit at 362nd in the list with 230,771 respect as of October 16th, 2019.
In traditional Torn style, the faction marked its first birthday with a chain and a victorious war. Indeed, BoOtcaMp’s founder Foxy73 says their freshman year contained many great accomplishments, with highlights including ranking in the top half of the Hall of Fame for respect and a general sense of the faction coming together to achieve their goals.
“The biggest moment must be when we realized we were closing in on the top half of HoF and everyone worked even harder to get us ranked better and better. Some of the sweetest moments were when we were underestimated by higher-level players in wars. There is so much power in unity and teamwork. Not easy for a half-active team, no matter what levels, to run over a fully-active noob team :P We also have Heroes who protect us if you look at our info page ;-)”
BoOtcaMp represents Foxy73's first leadership position, having previously served as part of the council in the first large faction she joined. Later, Foxy cut her teeth in another faction that was sold while she was a member. Her response was to band together with a few of her factionmates to form BoOtcaMp, which she describes as a place “where we could work our way up, and provide a stable 'home' to others, for the sake of merits etc.”
But keeping cadence at BoOtcaMp hasn’t always been as orderly as a morning reveille call with everyone snapping to with military precision. It’s important to get a little experience under your belt before starting a faction, Foxy advised, as she quickly learned that running one is not as easy as some people would have you believe.
“It is not easy starting, or running a faction without cash. We had to keep silent and out of harm’s way for a long time. We have pretty self-sufficient members, which helps a lot. Anyone can start a new faction, or buy an upgraded one, but it takes hard work and determination to keep it active, growing and fun. It takes teamwork. No one in Torn can do it on their own. And that respect goes both ways, always.”
“Be in one [a faction] first, and see what you like and don’t like. Make sure you have friends who can back you, especially with advice. We are lucky and very honored to have a few experienced players who help with advice, and keeping the wolves off our tails.”
The formation of BoOtcaMp may have been a steep learning curve for Foxy73, but the proper application of discipline, know-how, and strength of will can propel one through any obstacle course, no matter how arduous. Foxy73 said the positives of starting BoOtcaMp, such as friendship and pride, far outweighed any negatives.
“Each territory we claim or defend is a major victory for a bunch of younger players like ourselves. Every new upgrade is a cause for celebration. Our highlight, of course, was getting into the top 500 HOF within the first year of starting the faction.”
Pictured: Boots are on the ground at BoOtcaMp.
Territories are even more important to factions now that Territory Rackets have been added to Torn. At the time of writing, BoOtcaMp occupies seven territories in the city's west side on the border of sectors 5 and 6. They currently have no rackets in their possession, but earlier this year, Foxy73 was curious to see how her faction would deal with this new mechanic, having accidentally lost some territory quite recently.
"I am currently looking for new territory after a noob mistake to try and jump a territory not to bother a faction that gave way to us before... We ended up losing ours. The information on that was not clear, but now we know. The Rackets would certainly help us choose the direction we would like to go."
Rackets will inform the territorial decisions of many factions from now on, and they will also cause increased conflict as the needs of one group clash with those of another. Foxy73 believes that one consequence of this is that friendly respect-farming wars may cease, as factions will instead use their energies to hunt for the best territories.
"I'm pretty sure it will test alliances. People who were only happy to fight together may now want what their friends have. My first thought when I read about it in the seasonal letter, was that 'prime' property may well shift. My guess is that younger factions may have a hard time staying on the map, if they happen to be in the way of good loot ..."
Pictured: That drug lab looks awfully tempting.
BoOtcaMp is currently looking to move forward on the map towards more profitable territories when the chance arises. I was told this by their current leader El3akrout, who is running the faction alongside co-leader Marky_ while Foxy73 completes her temporary stint in 39th Street Killers X.
"I was invited to 39th Street X by a dear friend, who wanted to show me how the older, stronger and more experienced people do things, and I feel really honored to be given the opportunity, being such a young player with so much to learn still. The move is not permanent, although it will be hard to leave already, the people here are amazing and always ready to help with advice and support."
Foxy73's temporary move offers us an interesting insight into how factions work at the very highest level. By allowing the leader of another faction into their ranks, 39th X are helping Foxy73 learn the ins and outs of a top-ranked side, and this information will be invaluable when she returns to BoOtcaMp. Moreover, while the two factions are not currently allied, these friendly relations mean that a union between 39th and BoOtcaMp is not out of the question later down the line.
"Maybe one day when we are stronger and buff enough....hint hint."
Diplomacy is a rare trait in Torn's faction scene, so if your leader is able to schmooze with stronger factions, there will likely be good times ahead for your side. This definitely seems to be the case with Foxy73, with her spouse Echosummet being a member of well-known faction Sykoz. When we spoke to him before he went inactive, ES was full of praise for his wife.
“I’ve known foxy since she started and have never had, nor heard of anyone having a negative experience interacting with her. I have a ton of respect for her and bootcamp. She’s turned down countless buyers, defeated adversaries much stronger and more experienced, and she always gives everything for the faction. It’s no easy task to start a faction from the ground up and be even a little successful.”
Foxy73 also seems to have maintained good relations with strong players in other big factions too. bblake17 of Chain Reaction is one such player, and he told the Times he will often help out BoOtcaMp from time to time when stronger players or factions try to take advantage of them.
"I feel it’s important to the game for players to look out for each other, as well as the younger newer players. I do help them for free. I have made a few friends in bootcamp and will continue to help them when needed.”
Foxy73 mentioned that one of the traits she admires about factions like 39th Street and Chain Reaction is the way their high-level players still make time to help newer citizens reach their goals in this way. This is a mantra she has adopted over at BoOtcaMp too, as the man she entrusted to lead the faction in her absence, El3akrout, has known Foxy73 since she took him under her wing when he was just 18 days old.
"We have grown to family level and I am proud to have her trust me in running her faction alongside my friend and co-leader Marky_ and our hardworking reliable officers."
While Foxy73 is away learning from 39th X, she has maintained continuous contact with El3akrout and her leadership team back at BoOtcaMp, and remains involved in all major decisions. The faction was working on achieving the Criminality perk last time we checked, and Foxy admitted this path could change depending on the needs of the members. It seems they have indeed chosen another route, with their faction page currently advertising the availability of the Steadfast and Excursion perks.
This commitment to their members' needs above all else is what sets BoOtcaMp apart from the rest. They maintain that nobody in their faction is just a number and that a sense of humor and honor permeates everything they do. That being said, this faction is no soft touch. BoOtcaMp has a strict daily minimum attack requirement, and while real-life circumstances are taken into account, those who do not comply are promptly kicked from the faction.
Foxy73 says that some formerly inactive players have been allowed to return after being booted, as everyone knows these decisions are not personal - the momentum of any faction's growth can be hampered by inactive players. The rules they have in place are not there to punish, but to keep each player growing, and current leader El3akrout says that new players will always find a home with his side.
"We're still working on getting to the top while keeping our environment friendly, welcoming anyone willing to grow with us as a family. And that will not change. The faction was started by noobs and it will keep on having them here as long as they work for it."
Of course, every faction leader will tell you that their faction is great, and they'll always advise you to do your homework before choosing which group to join. But what does this homework actually entail? Foxy73 says that viewing the day stats of a faction's current members is a good starting point, as if a faction cannot retain players for very long, this hints at trouble behind the scenes.
"I have seen older, stronger factions constantly recruiting, and wonder if they eat the team, lol. Every new player should join a faction as early as possible. A faction is a home environment where you have family and support, and guidance on the best ways to grow and stay safe. It helps to be in a faction like ours, where we laugh a lot, it definitely makes the whole experience more fun. Nothing beats making friends and standing up as a team.”
Speaking of fun, let's take a quick break from the serious stuff to find out what kind of dessert BoOtcaMp would be. Foxy73 has gone for a mixture of spicy and sweet with her choice, as she claims the faction would be a chilli chocolate mousse.
Pictured: “We’re sweet, with a little bite ;-)”
So what does the future hold for this energetic young faction? Well a quick look at their recent accomplishments will tell you which direction they are heading. In June we noted they had a maximum chain of 500, but this has already been increased to 1,000 at the time of writing. The faction has also started their own law firm, BoOtcaMp LaW, which is known for helping Baldr check stats for his comprehensive list of targets.
BoOtcaMp has no plans for expansion at the moment, but Foxy says the future is rife with possibility. She insists they will not choose the route other small factions have taken by merging with others, but Foxy73 says that BoOtcaMp does enjoy an alliance with many friendly factions.
This, coupled with the fact that BoOtcaMp has a few friends in high places, means this faction is both one to be watched and wary of.
Drop a Dime
Got a hot tip? Care to share? Know of a faction you’d like to see in Focus? Chat Howyadoin when you see he’s online and talk about that story idea of yours. Or shoot an email his way.
In traditional Torn style, the faction marked its first birthday with a chain and a victorious war. Indeed, BoOtcaMp’s founder Foxy73 says their freshman year contained many great accomplishments, with highlights including ranking in the top half of the Hall of Fame for respect and a general sense of the faction coming together to achieve their goals.
“The biggest moment must be when we realized we were closing in on the top half of HoF and everyone worked even harder to get us ranked better and better. Some of the sweetest moments were when we were underestimated by higher-level players in wars. There is so much power in unity and teamwork. Not easy for a half-active team, no matter what levels, to run over a fully-active noob team :P We also have Heroes who protect us if you look at our info page ;-)”
BoOtcaMp represents Foxy73's first leadership position, having previously served as part of the council in the first large faction she joined. Later, Foxy cut her teeth in another faction that was sold while she was a member. Her response was to band together with a few of her factionmates to form BoOtcaMp, which she describes as a place “where we could work our way up, and provide a stable 'home' to others, for the sake of merits etc.”
But keeping cadence at BoOtcaMp hasn’t always been as orderly as a morning reveille call with everyone snapping to with military precision. It’s important to get a little experience under your belt before starting a faction, Foxy advised, as she quickly learned that running one is not as easy as some people would have you believe.
“It is not easy starting, or running a faction without cash. We had to keep silent and out of harm’s way for a long time. We have pretty self-sufficient members, which helps a lot. Anyone can start a new faction, or buy an upgraded one, but it takes hard work and determination to keep it active, growing and fun. It takes teamwork. No one in Torn can do it on their own. And that respect goes both ways, always.”
“Be in one [a faction] first, and see what you like and don’t like. Make sure you have friends who can back you, especially with advice. We are lucky and very honored to have a few experienced players who help with advice, and keeping the wolves off our tails.”
The formation of BoOtcaMp may have been a steep learning curve for Foxy73, but the proper application of discipline, know-how, and strength of will can propel one through any obstacle course, no matter how arduous. Foxy73 said the positives of starting BoOtcaMp, such as friendship and pride, far outweighed any negatives.
“Each territory we claim or defend is a major victory for a bunch of younger players like ourselves. Every new upgrade is a cause for celebration. Our highlight, of course, was getting into the top 500 HOF within the first year of starting the faction.”
Pictured: Boots are on the ground at BoOtcaMp.
Territories are even more important to factions now that Territory Rackets have been added to Torn. At the time of writing, BoOtcaMp occupies seven territories in the city's west side on the border of sectors 5 and 6. They currently have no rackets in their possession, but earlier this year, Foxy73 was curious to see how her faction would deal with this new mechanic, having accidentally lost some territory quite recently.
"I am currently looking for new territory after a noob mistake to try and jump a territory not to bother a faction that gave way to us before... We ended up losing ours. The information on that was not clear, but now we know. The Rackets would certainly help us choose the direction we would like to go."
Rackets will inform the territorial decisions of many factions from now on, and they will also cause increased conflict as the needs of one group clash with those of another. Foxy73 believes that one consequence of this is that friendly respect-farming wars may cease, as factions will instead use their energies to hunt for the best territories.
"I'm pretty sure it will test alliances. People who were only happy to fight together may now want what their friends have. My first thought when I read about it in the seasonal letter, was that 'prime' property may well shift. My guess is that younger factions may have a hard time staying on the map, if they happen to be in the way of good loot ..."
Pictured: That drug lab looks awfully tempting.
BoOtcaMp is currently looking to move forward on the map towards more profitable territories when the chance arises. I was told this by their current leader El3akrout, who is running the faction alongside co-leader Marky_ while Foxy73 completes her temporary stint in 39th Street Killers X.
"I was invited to 39th Street X by a dear friend, who wanted to show me how the older, stronger and more experienced people do things, and I feel really honored to be given the opportunity, being such a young player with so much to learn still. The move is not permanent, although it will be hard to leave already, the people here are amazing and always ready to help with advice and support."
Foxy73's temporary move offers us an interesting insight into how factions work at the very highest level. By allowing the leader of another faction into their ranks, 39th X are helping Foxy73 learn the ins and outs of a top-ranked side, and this information will be invaluable when she returns to BoOtcaMp. Moreover, while the two factions are not currently allied, these friendly relations mean that a union between 39th and BoOtcaMp is not out of the question later down the line.
"Maybe one day when we are stronger and buff enough....hint hint."
Diplomacy is a rare trait in Torn's faction scene, so if your leader is able to schmooze with stronger factions, there will likely be good times ahead for your side. This definitely seems to be the case with Foxy73, with her spouse Echosummet being a member of well-known faction Sykoz. When we spoke to him before he went inactive, ES was full of praise for his wife.
“I’ve known foxy since she started and have never had, nor heard of anyone having a negative experience interacting with her. I have a ton of respect for her and bootcamp. She’s turned down countless buyers, defeated adversaries much stronger and more experienced, and she always gives everything for the faction. It’s no easy task to start a faction from the ground up and be even a little successful.”
Foxy73 also seems to have maintained good relations with strong players in other big factions too. bblake17 of Chain Reaction is one such player, and he told the Times he will often help out BoOtcaMp from time to time when stronger players or factions try to take advantage of them.
"I feel it’s important to the game for players to look out for each other, as well as the younger newer players. I do help them for free. I have made a few friends in bootcamp and will continue to help them when needed.”
Foxy73 mentioned that one of the traits she admires about factions like 39th Street and Chain Reaction is the way their high-level players still make time to help newer citizens reach their goals in this way. This is a mantra she has adopted over at BoOtcaMp too, as the man she entrusted to lead the faction in her absence, El3akrout, has known Foxy73 since she took him under her wing when he was just 18 days old.
"We have grown to family level and I am proud to have her trust me in running her faction alongside my friend and co-leader Marky_ and our hardworking reliable officers."
While Foxy73 is away learning from 39th X, she has maintained continuous contact with El3akrout and her leadership team back at BoOtcaMp, and remains involved in all major decisions. The faction was working on achieving the Criminality perk last time we checked, and Foxy admitted this path could change depending on the needs of the members. It seems they have indeed chosen another route, with their faction page currently advertising the availability of the Steadfast and Excursion perks.
This commitment to their members' needs above all else is what sets BoOtcaMp apart from the rest. They maintain that nobody in their faction is just a number and that a sense of humor and honor permeates everything they do. That being said, this faction is no soft touch. BoOtcaMp has a strict daily minimum attack requirement, and while real-life circumstances are taken into account, those who do not comply are promptly kicked from the faction.
Foxy73 says that some formerly inactive players have been allowed to return after being booted, as everyone knows these decisions are not personal - the momentum of any faction's growth can be hampered by inactive players. The rules they have in place are not there to punish, but to keep each player growing, and current leader El3akrout says that new players will always find a home with his side.
"We're still working on getting to the top while keeping our environment friendly, welcoming anyone willing to grow with us as a family. And that will not change. The faction was started by noobs and it will keep on having them here as long as they work for it."
Of course, every faction leader will tell you that their faction is great, and they'll always advise you to do your homework before choosing which group to join. But what does this homework actually entail? Foxy73 says that viewing the day stats of a faction's current members is a good starting point, as if a faction cannot retain players for very long, this hints at trouble behind the scenes.
"I have seen older, stronger factions constantly recruiting, and wonder if they eat the team, lol. Every new player should join a faction as early as possible. A faction is a home environment where you have family and support, and guidance on the best ways to grow and stay safe. It helps to be in a faction like ours, where we laugh a lot, it definitely makes the whole experience more fun. Nothing beats making friends and standing up as a team.”
Speaking of fun, let's take a quick break from the serious stuff to find out what kind of dessert BoOtcaMp would be. Foxy73 has gone for a mixture of spicy and sweet with her choice, as she claims the faction would be a chilli chocolate mousse.
Pictured: “We’re sweet, with a little bite ;-)”
So what does the future hold for this energetic young faction? Well a quick look at their recent accomplishments will tell you which direction they are heading. In June we noted they had a maximum chain of 500, but this has already been increased to 1,000 at the time of writing. The faction has also started their own law firm, BoOtcaMp LaW, which is known for helping Baldr check stats for his comprehensive list of targets.
BoOtcaMp has no plans for expansion at the moment, but Foxy says the future is rife with possibility. She insists they will not choose the route other small factions have taken by merging with others, but Foxy73 says that BoOtcaMp does enjoy an alliance with many friendly factions.
This, coupled with the fact that BoOtcaMp has a few friends in high places, means this faction is both one to be watched and wary of.
Drop a Dime
Got a hot tip? Care to share? Know of a faction you’d like to see in Focus? Chat Howyadoin when you see he’s online and talk about that story idea of yours. Or shoot an email his way.
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