Clanwars, ladders, tournaments, honor matches, skirmishes, practices... Clans these days have many competitive efforts (clanwars can be considered the overall umbrella) going on. For most, a little limelight and the thrill of intense action is enough. Some clans, however, aim for the pinnacle of competitive efforts: professional gaming. WTF? Getting paid to game? Count me in!

I'm sure you've all met the over-aggressive, competition-obsessed gamer. You know, the one that gets really hyped-up during game time and hates to lose. The guy that swears that, this season, he'll be at the top or the ladders. Competition can be a boon or a bane for any gaming clan. Trying to be the "best" tends to break clans apart. There's lots of risk involved in pursuing hardcore leagues and prize-driven competition.

The strain on relationships can be IMMENSE when you join an official ladder or tournament such as that seen on GameBattles.com or StormGaming.net so you have to wonder: is it really worth it? It depends on the clan and their goals. If a clan only seeks to compete to have fun and/or defend the prestige of their clan, independent clanwars may be a better option. If cash prizes and individual pride are more of a focus, joining an established clanwars/tournament system is the way to go.

What I find with most, if not all, of the established clan battlsystems out there is that they encourage the type of competition that is boring and perhaps down-right dirty. Camping is only part of the professional competition problem. You have the excessive smack talking, the racial slurs, and the poor sportsmanship overall. Most leagues and ladders don't do anything to annotate this or remedy the situation. The honor and fun in battle, thus, goes down the crap chute.

The thing is: when clans compete on a higher level, they tend to play for keeps and, thus, play very differently than they would if it was just a public match. Fortunately, some games have built-in timing but it gets really boring when all you do is sit around, waiting to see who makes a move. Ladder and tournament competition is NOT for everyone.

Few things can test the synergy, fortitude, and dedication of a clan like clanwars do. My advice to younger clans is to keep everyone focused on the things that matter most to you, collectively. Filter out those that don't really see your vision early on so that you don't have deadweight or interruptive behavior distracting you during your competitive efforts. Ideally, you want folks that fight for the clan, not just for individual glory.

For NoF, our focus is on fun, defending our honor, and perhaps forging some new relationships along the way. When we bump into the few honorable, like-minded clans along the way, we try to battle them more. Business should never be personal so it's nice when you can lay the whoop down and still be friends after the smoke clears.

I guess all I am saying is that before any clan jumps into some clanwars fun, make sure it's what everyone really wants and needs. Gauge activity and rally the troops. Set common goals and see them through. If you fail to do these things, playing in a high-level, high-visibility league or ladder system can become like the big fat black lady you can't get rid of.

How YOU doin??)

NoF (Nipples of Fate) are now registered on a few GameBattles ladders. Check us out on Call of Duty 4 or come visit us on our official web site, http://www.n-o-f.com - w00tash!