Starting you own clan is a big job, and definitely not something for those new to clan scene. However if you feel you have the organization, determination and understanding to make a clan than this guide should help.
Feasibility is the first thing to look at when thinking of starting a clan, are there enough players available and willing to join? Are there many other clans starting up or recruiting? This takes some knowledge of the overall ns activity and can be difficult to determine.
Establishing a clan is best done with some other initial players, talk to them beforehand about the proposition. You’ll then need to decide upon a clan name and tag, something original, good and not abusive should be used. The clan will also need some IRC channels, a private one where members can meet and organize games, and a public clan channel where others can contact you. Visit the GameSurge site at www.gamesurge.net to register a channel.
Recruitment is the most difficult step, you want enough members to be able to prac frequently, yet not too many such that you have can have a pretty good relationship between players. As a very new clan your target recruitment group is those similar to you in skill and generally also looking to start in the ns clan scene. Members will need to have a good attitude and be active, it is vital for clan survival that everyone gets along well so that teamwork can thrive. You may wish to post recruiting threads in relevant forums and ask decent pubbers if they’re interested.
Getting better and learning is perhaps most painful section on the road to success. Losses should be analysed to work out mistakes and methods to rectify them, teamwork, communication and strategy should also be learnt and improved upon with every game. It is vital that clan members stick together and progress as a team, personal forums and IRC discussions can greatly help this. As a leader you should have a good understanding of the game, be able to organize practise matches (pracs) with other clans and communicate effectively with other players. It may be also worthwhile to try and find a mentor to help you out, that is an experienced clanner who can teach you different aspects of the game and help with analysing pracs and improving your skill and gameplay. Even asking teams that beat you what their comments are can help.
