Marine One

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.2.
The Star Marine Community
Unless you’ve been living on the edge of the frontier, there’s no doubt that you’re at least familiar with Star Marine. InterDimension Software’s red-hot ground combat simulation game has been tearing up sim pods across the empire. Since its release, countless appearances have made James Romanov the go-to face of the ‘realism in gaming’ debate, while technical mastermind James Vandyke has been declared the ‘Next Gaming God’ by Hitbox magazine. While the release has had its fair share of detractors, with complaints ranging from ethical questions about whether it’s appropriate to let players assume the role of outlaws in the Walzer Massacre to a recent spate of illegal hacks, the game has still managed to garner an impressively loyal community who’ve embraced Star Marine, flaws and all.

The group as a whole is hard to strictly quantify: there is no stereotypical Star Marine fan. Players, who refer to themselves as “Starheads,” range from UEE veterans lured by the incredible attention to detail to successful politicians and even to the Empire’s elite — businessman Silas Koerner keeps a sim pod in his office for regular Star Marine breaks. It seems that fans of all ages, genders, and species have found something that speaks to them in the historically-grounded battles and shoot-outs the game portrays.

Starhead Central
The heart of Star Marine community discussion takes place at a dedicated spectrum hub known as MARINE ONE. The core of the hub is a news and broadcast arena which collates every conceivable piece of Star Marine news for the waiting public. From plans for future updates to previews of new game assets in the process of creation and even outright gossip about the game’s developers, MARINE ONE has become the one-stop spectrum spot for all things Star Marine. Hundreds of thousands of Star Marine players can also be found casting their gameplay at any given time, with the most popular being traded around the Empire. Big name streamers like GoodTimeDuke and MARSHMALLOW run casts that have become appointment viewing, attracting sponsors and dedicated fanatics of their own.

Then, there’s the Forge. Managed by a team of die-hard ultrafans, this Marine One forum is a wild, ever-expanding gyre of discussion, speculation, argument, incomprehensible in-jokes, and more. Generally good-natured despite the kilometer-a-minute movement of the conversations, the group is known to fixate on the smallest aspects of the Star Marine experience in a big way. From generating lengthy backstories for each of the game’s corpses to forming what can only be described as an unlikely cult around a cola dispenser prop created for the game, the one word that best summarizes the group is passionate.

Art is also popular form of expression. Star Marine fans have turned their talents to everything from traditional pen-and-ink sketches (an ongoing comic titled Jaeger is the best known) to the creation of mods or minigames that celebrate the smallest details of the Star Marine world. Countless talented artists carefully pose in-game ‘feel shots’ to create their own, increasingly elaborate scenes. In some cases, dozens of players might work together for hours posing not only their characters in particular positions but also rearranging set pieces, props, and lights to improve a composition.

That said, Star Marine players are never afraid to go toe-to-toe with the development team at InterDimension, occasionally engaging developers in debates and often protesting the appearance of bugs and (most especially) perceived inaccuracies in the battlefield simulation. One notable initiative saw players from locations around the UEE shipping empty battery cartridges to InterDimension’s head office as protest for what they saw as an inaccurate feel following a weapons pass.

First time visitors are advised to interact with the community via the marked ‘Landing Craft’ welcome area. While the community is extremely accepting, it is also known for the fact that regular users speak something of an alien language. Recently-created hub accounts should also be on the lookout for grifters who will sometimes attempt to trick new Marines into giving away their weapons, armor, and REC.

Electronic Access Invitational
With the widespread appeal of competitive Star Marine matches, it was only a matter of time before the game went pro and joined the Electronic Access Invitational, one of the largest sim competitions operating in the Empire. The EAI brought together leading players from around the ’verse to compete in the inaugural Star Marine competition in 2946. While the event had always been popular among sim-enthusiasts, the event’s organizers considerably underestimated the public’s reaction to the introduction of Star Marine. Administrators at the EAI were flooded with fans who complained that their favorite players weren’t invited. The event, held at the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, proved that even EAI’s best laid plans could fall short as record-breaking crowds showed up to watch the matchups. Lines formed outside the venue the night before the event, forcing them to hastily organize a thousand more seats to cover the overflow.

InterDimension even got into the act by supporting this and other tournaments; Romanov famously awarded his Lynx rover to the first player who was able to beat him in a live competition. Based on the dynamic turnout, it’s a natural assumption that Star Marine will return to the competition next year and if today’s fans are any indication, they’ll show up in droves to support it.

Dieses Portfolio erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 5.2.
Die Star Marine Community
Es sei denn, Sie leben am Rande der Grenze, es besteht kein Zweifel, dass Sie zumindest mit Star Marine vertraut sind. Das glühende Bodenkampf-Simulationsspiel von InterDimension Software hat Simulations-Kapseln im ganzen Imperium zerfetzt. Seit seiner Veröffentlichung haben unzählige Auftritte James Romanov zum Auftakt der Debatte über den "Realismus im Gaming" gemacht, während der technische Kopf James Vandyke vom Hitbox Magazine zum "Next Gaming God" erklärt wurde. Während die Veröffentlichung ihren gerechten Anteil an Kritikern hatte, mit Beschwerden, die von ethischen Fragen darüber reichen, ob es angemessen ist, Spieler die Rolle von Gesetzlosen im Walzer-Massaker übernehmen zu lassen, bis hin zu einer jüngsten Welle illegaler Hacks, hat es das Spiel dennoch geschafft, eine beeindruckend loyale Gemeinschaft zu gewinnen, die Star Marine, Fehler und alles andere angenommen hat.

Die Gruppe als Ganzes ist schwer zu quantifizieren: Es gibt keinen stereotypen Star Marine Fan. Die Spieler, die sich selbst als "Starheads" bezeichnen, reichen von UEE-Veteranen, die von der unglaublichen Liebe zum Detail angelockt werden, über erfolgreiche Politiker bis hin zur Elite des Imperiums - der Geschäftsmann Silas Koerner hält in seinem Büro ein Sim-Pod für regelmäßige Star Marine Pausen. Es scheint, dass Fans jeden Alters, Geschlechts und jeder Art etwas gefunden haben, das sie in den historisch fundierten Schlachten und Schießereien, die das Spiel darstellt, anspricht.

Sternenkopf Zentral
Das Herzstück der Star Marine Community-Diskussion findet an einem speziellen Spectrum Hub statt, der als MARINE ONE bekannt ist. Der Kern des Hubs ist eine Nachrichten- und Übertragungsarena, die alle denkbaren Nachrichten von Star Marine für das wartende Publikum sammelt. Von Plänen für zukünftige Updates über Vorschauen neuer Spiele-Assets im Entstehungsprozess bis hin zu Gerüchten über die Entwickler des Spiels - MARINE ONE ist zum zentralen Anlaufpunkt für alle Dinge rund um Star Marine geworden. Hunderttausende von Star Marine Spielern können auch gefunden werden, die ihr Gameplay zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt spielen, wobei der beliebteste Spieler im ganzen Reich gehandelt wird. Große Namen wie GoodTimeDuke und MARSHMALLOW führen Castings durch, die zu Terminbesuchen geworden sind und Sponsoren und engagierte Fanatiker anziehen.

Dann ist da noch die Schmiede. Verwaltet von einem Team von eingefleischten Ultrafans, ist dieses Marine One Forum ein wilder, ständig wachsender Kreis von Diskussionen, Spekulationen, Argumenten, unverständlichen Witzen und mehr. Im Allgemeinen gutmütig trotz der kilometerweisen Bewegung der Gespräche, ist die Gruppe bekannt dafür, sich auf die kleinsten Aspekte der Star Marine Erfahrung im großen Stil zu konzentrieren. Von der Erstellung umfangreicher Hintergrundgeschichten für jeden der Leichen des Spiels bis hin zur Bildung eines unwahrscheinlichen Kultes um eine Cola-Spenderstütze, die für das Spiel entwickelt wurde, ist das eine Wort, das die Gruppe am besten zusammenfasst, leidenschaftlich.

Kunst ist auch eine beliebte Ausdrucksform. Star Marine Fans haben ihre Talente von traditionellen Feder- und Tintenskizzen (ein fortlaufender Comic mit dem Titel Jaeger ist am bekanntesten) bis hin zur Entwicklung von Mods oder Minispielen, die die kleinsten Details der Star Marine Welt feiern, eingesetzt. Unzählige talentierte Künstler posieren sorgfältig im Spiel "feel shots", um ihre eigenen, immer ausgefeilteren Szenen zu kreieren. In einigen Fällen können Dutzende von Spielern stundenlang zusammenarbeiten, um nicht nur ihre Charaktere in bestimmten Positionen zu posieren, sondern auch Setfiguren, Requisiten und Lichter neu anzuordnen, um eine Komposition zu verbessern.

Allerdings scheuen sich die Spieler von Star Marine nie davor, mit dem Entwicklungsteam von InterDimension auf Tuchfühlung zu gehen, gelegentlich Entwickler in Debatten einzubinden und oft gegen das Auftreten von Bugs und (vor allem) wahrgenommene Ungenauigkeiten in der Schlachtfeldsimulation zu protestieren. Eine bemerkenswerte Initiative sahen die Spieler von Standorten rund um die UEE, die leere Batteriekartuschen an die Zentrale von InterDimension verschickten, um gegen das zu protestieren, was sie nach einem Waffenpass als ungenau empfanden.

Erstbesuchern wird empfohlen, über den markierten Willkommensbereich "Landing Craft" mit der Community zu interagieren. Während die Community extrem akzeptiert, ist sie auch dafür bekannt, dass regelmäßige Nutzer eine fremde Sprache sprechen. Kürzlich erstellte Hub-Accounts sollten auch auf der Suche nach Trickbetrügern sein, die manchmal versuchen, neue Marines auszutricksen, um ihre Waffen, Rüstungen und REC wegzugeben.

Elektronische Zugangseinladung
Mit der weiten Verbreitung der konkurrierenden Star Marine Matches war es nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis das Spiel zum Profi wurde und sich dem Electronic Access Invitational anschloss, einem der größten Sim-Wettbewerbe im Imperium. Die EAI brachte führende Spieler aus der ganzen Welt zusammen, um 2946 am ersten Star Marine Wettbewerb teilzunehmen. Während die Veranstaltung bei Sim-Enthusiasten schon immer beliebt war, unterschätzten die Organisatoren die Reaktion der Öffentlichkeit auf die Einführung von Star Marine erheblich. Die Administratoren des EAI wurden von Fans überflutet, die sich beschwerten, dass ihre Lieblingsspieler nicht eingeladen wurden. Die Veranstaltung, die auf der Intergalactic Aerospace Expo stattfand, bewies, dass selbst die besten Pläne von EAI nicht ausreichen konnten, da rekordverdächtige Zuschauerzahlen auftauchten, um die Spiele zu verfolgen. In der Nacht vor der Veranstaltung bildeten sich außerhalb des Veranstaltungsortes Linien, die sie zwangen, hastig tausend weitere Plätze zu organisieren, um den Überlauf abzudecken.

InterDimension kam sogar auf die Idee, dieses und andere Turniere zu unterstützen; Romanov vergab seinen Luchs-Rover an den ersten Spieler, der ihn in einem Live-Wettbewerb schlagen konnte. Basierend auf der dynamischen Beteiligung ist es eine natürliche Annahme, dass Star Marine im nächsten Jahr zum Wettbewerb zurückkehren wird, und wenn die heutigen Fans ein Hinweis darauf sind, werden sie in Scharen auftauchen, um ihn zu unterstützen.

This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.2.
The Star Marine Community
Unless you’ve been living on the edge of the frontier, there’s no doubt that you’re at least familiar with Star Marine. InterDimension Software’s red-hot ground combat simulation game has been tearing up sim pods across the empire. Since its release, countless appearances have made James Romanov the go-to face of the ‘realism in gaming’ debate, while technical mastermind James Vandyke has been declared the ‘Next Gaming God’ by Hitbox magazine. While the release has had its fair share of detractors, with complaints ranging from ethical questions about whether it’s appropriate to let players assume the role of outlaws in the Walzer Massacre to a recent spate of illegal hacks, the game has still managed to garner an impressively loyal community who’ve embraced Star Marine, flaws and all.

The group as a whole is hard to strictly quantify: there is no stereotypical Star Marine fan. Players, who refer to themselves as “Starheads,” range from UEE veterans lured by the incredible attention to detail to successful politicians and even to the Empire’s elite — businessman Silas Koerner keeps a sim pod in his office for regular Star Marine breaks. It seems that fans of all ages, genders, and species have found something that speaks to them in the historically-grounded battles and shoot-outs the game portrays.

Starhead Central
The heart of Star Marine community discussion takes place at a dedicated spectrum hub known as MARINE ONE. The core of the hub is a news and broadcast arena which collates every conceivable piece of Star Marine news for the waiting public. From plans for future updates to previews of new game assets in the process of creation and even outright gossip about the game’s developers, MARINE ONE has become the one-stop spectrum spot for all things Star Marine. Hundreds of thousands of Star Marine players can also be found casting their gameplay at any given time, with the most popular being traded around the Empire. Big name streamers like GoodTimeDuke and MARSHMALLOW run casts that have become appointment viewing, attracting sponsors and dedicated fanatics of their own.

Then, there’s the Forge. Managed by a team of die-hard ultrafans, this Marine One forum is a wild, ever-expanding gyre of discussion, speculation, argument, incomprehensible in-jokes, and more. Generally good-natured despite the kilometer-a-minute movement of the conversations, the group is known to fixate on the smallest aspects of the Star Marine experience in a big way. From generating lengthy backstories for each of the game’s corpses to forming what can only be described as an unlikely cult around a cola dispenser prop created for the game, the one word that best summarizes the group is passionate.

Art is also popular form of expression. Star Marine fans have turned their talents to everything from traditional pen-and-ink sketches (an ongoing comic titled Jaeger is the best known) to the creation of mods or minigames that celebrate the smallest details of the Star Marine world. Countless talented artists carefully pose in-game ‘feel shots’ to create their own, increasingly elaborate scenes. In some cases, dozens of players might work together for hours posing not only their characters in particular positions but also rearranging set pieces, props, and lights to improve a composition.

That said, Star Marine players are never afraid to go toe-to-toe with the development team at InterDimension, occasionally engaging developers in debates and often protesting the appearance of bugs and (most especially) perceived inaccuracies in the battlefield simulation. One notable initiative saw players from locations around the UEE shipping empty battery cartridges to InterDimension’s head office as protest for what they saw as an inaccurate feel following a weapons pass.

First time visitors are advised to interact with the community via the marked ‘Landing Craft’ welcome area. While the community is extremely accepting, it is also known for the fact that regular users speak something of an alien language. Recently-created hub accounts should also be on the lookout for grifters who will sometimes attempt to trick new Marines into giving away their weapons, armor, and REC.

Electronic Access Invitational
With the widespread appeal of competitive Star Marine matches, it was only a matter of time before the game went pro and joined the Electronic Access Invitational, one of the largest sim competitions operating in the Empire. The EAI brought together leading players from around the ’verse to compete in the inaugural Star Marine competition in 2946. While the event had always been popular among sim-enthusiasts, the event’s organizers considerably underestimated the public’s reaction to the introduction of Star Marine. Administrators at the EAI were flooded with fans who complained that their favorite players weren’t invited. The event, held at the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, proved that even EAI’s best laid plans could fall short as record-breaking crowds showed up to watch the matchups. Lines formed outside the venue the night before the event, forcing them to hastily organize a thousand more seats to cover the overflow.

InterDimension even got into the act by supporting this and other tournaments; Romanov famously awarded his Lynx rover to the first player who was able to beat him in a live competition. Based on the dynamic turnout, it’s a natural assumption that Star Marine will return to the competition next year and if today’s fans are any indication, they’ll show up in droves to support it.