MMORPGs are known for creating special gaming moments. One such moment is remembered by MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch. As a student, he trained a group of players in PvP and learned a lot about leadership and respect.
Competitive games have always fascinated me, whether it was FIFA 99 in a one-on-one against my father or later titles like League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. But my best times were in the MMORPG Guild Wars 1, where I had the privilege of training a group of PvP players for over two years.
This group was very diverse, with players around my age, but also several individuals over 30, a father in his mid-40s, and an older gentleman over 50. And let’s be honest, for a 15-year-old, anyone over 30 seems ancient!
They all listened to my commands, which my mother still cannot comprehend to this day. She always shook her head when I told her that even a dad would take time for our training and that she should please prepare dinner earlier!
The team managed to transform from an uncoordinated bunch into a regular winner of the Hall of Heroes through regular training. And that, even though I myself was not the best PvP player and lacked many “skills” as a leader in the beginning.
Toxic leader was so exhausting that I wanted to build my own team
My entry into PvP began just 7 months before I founded my own team. At that time, I became part of a so-called R-Spike, which met twice a week. The focus of the team composition was on three rangers and one paragon who together attacked a target. The goal was to “spike” this opponent so quickly that the healers had no chance to save him. This was gradually done with the entire opposing group.
There was also the caller, who would count down: “Target log in, 3, 2, 1, attack.” I would say this combo thousands more times in the coming years.
The team I joined as the third ranger, however, quickly became frustrated and the caller was very toxic. There was way too much yelling, and games were given up far too quickly. That really bothered me.
Especially with our healers, I saw great potential and decided to build my own team with two of them – without really having an idea of how to train such a team and keep it motivated. Most of the members who joined were from my former guild.
You can get an idea of what an R-Spike roughly looks like in this 15-year-old video from YouTuber Jgregoire108:
The start was rocky, as the group could hardly have been more different. We three had some prior experience, our new ritualist was actually a very successful PvP player, but we also had three complete PvP newcomers and a player who had only played Guild Wars 1 for a few weeks.
Still, we decided to train twice a week and, if necessary, venture out on the weekends with random groups to learn from it.
Our first rounds in the “Rise of Heroes” mode were a disaster, also because the gameplay is extremely demanding and completely unsuitable for us:
- The first match is always played on the map Underworld. One team plays against another. The goal: Eliminate all enemy players.
- As a winner, you advance to the next map; as a loser, you have to re-register and start again in the Underworld.
- The second map still follows the same gameplay principle, but from then on it gets wilder. There are maps with priests who resurrect, maps with control points, or with relic runs. These are sometimes entirely different modes that present totally new requirements and tactics to a group.
- The maps with relic run or King of the Hill were reached much less frequently, so we could train much less there, which is why we lost there much more often. A vicious cycle.
Frustration set in after a few months of intensive training. Would we ever get to see the big finale in the Rise of Heroes?
Fun evenings in the fight against frustration
I felt the mood shift, but definitely wanted to prevent the team from becoming as toxic as my old one. So, I resorted to “team-building measures”.
So, on one training evening, we didn’t even play in the Rise of Heroes but instead dueled in two four-player teams in the team arena. Another time, we played in the guild-vs-guild mode, which also completely disrupted our training routine, although at least here the entire group of 8 players faced another group of 8 players.
One day, we all swapped our roles and played a completely unfamiliar class. It didn’t lead to great success, but it had a huge learning effect.
On another training day, after two unsuccessful rounds, we simply played hide-and-seek in the guild hall with the interface turned off. It was probably one of the best evenings we ever had.
The reward after over 9 months
With the weeks, the motivation returned and after almost 9 months of training, we achieved our first victory in the Hall of Heroes. One would reach it at that time after about 6 to 9 consecutive wins in the Rise of Heroes, depending on how busy an evening was.
The Hall of Heroes also has the peculiarity that three teams play against each other. I personally had little experience with this last map but had read a few guides and spoken with other callers. The most important rule was: Stay back so that two teams do not team up against you right at the beginning.
The round became legendary. In the relic run, the team that brought the most relics to the center after time runs out wins. We were behind by two points for a long time, so we allied with the team in second place against the leaders.
Three seconds before the end, both opposing teams had brought the same number of relics to the middle. We were one behind. However, the team that secures the point last wins in case of a tie – potentially us. In the last seconds, the two other teams played against us, but our runner narrowly triumphed and secured the victory for us.
I will never forget that moment, the cheers in Teamspeak, the joy as a group, and our name in the all-chat. Because in Guild Wars 1, the winning team is named in the Hall of Heroes.
We earned the victory – and also the dozens of hall wins we gained afterward – mainly through diligence, friendship, and respect for one another. Everyone stood up for each other, no one was particularly loud or rude.
That had a strong impact on me as a 15-year-old. Even today, I remain calm in PvP in Guild Wars 2 or New World or in matches in TFT.
It’s no wonder I enjoy watching the German LoL streamer NoWay4u, who also has such a calm demeanor and explains a lot simultaneously. Toxic behavior has never improved a game.
What were special gaming moments for you that you still remember? And which ones taught you something?
Our former author Larissa Then also learned a lot from a leadership position. She took on the role of raid leader:
How I once was a raid leader in WoW and what I learned for life
