Gaming Lessons

Care to Evolve? Evolving as a Team Returns

Teamwork cannot be distilled into one or two sound bytes; any attempt to do so is merely a disservice to those listening. Thus, rather than attempt to do so, I—and the rest of the Gaming Lessons team— will explore the nuances of what teamwork is, some of the factors that shape a team, and how a myriad of lessons compliments of sports, the business world, the military, and yes, even geese, can be applied to gaming.

For the purpose of this series, Halo 3 will be used throughout for the purposes of providing concrete examples for abstract theory. However, we have gone to great lengths to ensure that Evolving as a Team is applicable to any game. Simply put, how we apply the theory might shift from game-to-game, but the theory itself will remain remarkably constant.

In the future, followup articles for games such as Gears of War 2 will be released to shine light on how the applications differ.

Now, without further adieu, we introduce you to Evolving as a Team.

First Up: What is Teamwork?

During any MLG event, chances are, you’ll overhear much. Most is rubbish; small comments between friends, bad jokes, and the like. But sometimes, you’ll overhear a gem or two.

I’m not sure who the individual was that said it, or even who he was talking to, but one in particular stuck with me. On Saturday, as I meandered through the Gears of War area (a game known for its heavy reliance on teamwork), I overheard one young player ask another “what’s the one tip I need to know about playing as a team to move forward?”

Talk about a loaded question. Truth is, I haven’t a bloody clue who he was talking to. But, chances are, no matter who the respondent was, and no matter what answer he gave, he was wrong.

Here’s a thought experiment: perform a search on Google with the word “teamwork.” You’ll find nearly 10 million results on that query.

Of these ten million results, you will find very little in the way of agreement. Actually, you’ll find much of the opposite: disagreement.

The truth of the matter is simple; no matter who you ask, chances are, you won’t get the same answer. After all, if the answer were simple or obvious, we’d see sports dynasties, winning year after year. We’d see the same companies at the top of industry, year after year. We’d see the same individuals at the top of every list, year after year.

But we don’t.

Therein lies the rub. Teamwork isn’t a simple concept. It’s always evolving, changing, shifting. As teams and groups move forward, situations themselves change. Assumptions are put to the test. Then refined, changed, or dropped completely.

So why am I reading this?

Just because we find that teamwork is always rapidly evolving and changing doesn’t mean that we can’t study it. Far from it; one thing communication scholars, psychologists, and even ‘mere’ team members the world over have noticed is that there are certain factors, certain principles, that hold true even though the end results change.

We will analyze the theory and distill it into specific principles, lessons, and parables. We will borrow form conventional psychology, empirical experience, and even centuries-old parables. We will look to today, and we will look to the past.

Teamwork has been an integral part of human achievement since man first rose from the cave. If one wants to rise to the height of the gaming world, one must look beyond the gaming world.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is precisely what we must do.

These Principles are Yours to Mold

At risk of sounding egoistic, everything within the Evolving as a Team series can, and should, be applied to your game from the getgo. It won’t change you overnight, but the more of it that you can apply, the better position your team will be in.

But that doesn’t mean what we explore is set in stone. The beautiful thing about teamwork is that it, like our title, can evolve. The way in which these principles are applied can change. For better or worse. That means, rather than take the straight path that we assume things will, teamwork often finds itself jutting off the beaten path at the most unexpected of times.

These shifts are to be embraced. Follow the path. Explore the woods. If things fail to pan out, then follow your footsteps back.

These principles are yours to mold. They are yours to play with. They are not, and never will be, static in how we apply them.

We are a team

This series was never intended to serve as a series of proclamations. Rather, we like to think of it as a prolonged discussion. Through the commenting system below, on every article, that discussion can take place. You will find the Gaming Lessons authors debating things, pro players offering their experiences and thoughts, and most of all, your fellow readers discussing and hopefully debating every word.

The only way this discussion will carry on is if you add your thoughts. Good or bad, add them. Strange as it may sound, we are a team—all of us—and our discussion will bring us closer while helping us grow.

The Format

Finally, we end the first article of the new series with a few points on the format. Every few days, an additional article in the series will be released. At this time, the vast majority of these articles will be Player’s Club exclusives. However, periodically, parts of the series will be released free for the public.

After each major milestone in the series, we will compile some of the most interesting comments in special discussion articles—featuring the comments, and the thoughts of the authors and many of the top players on each comment.

In addition, we will try to provide guest

Finally, after the entire series is completed, which will take a while make no mistake about it, it will be compiled into a beautifully designed book (PDF copies initially, with hard copies to follow depending on demand) for your enjoyment.

So, with that said, let’s get ready to evolve! Stay tuned for the first real article of the series, The Sense of a Goose, where we look at one of nature’s greatest examples of true teamwork.

About the Author: Bluestrike2