What Keeps The Gladiatorz Alive?

[jbiczak]

Hi Gladiatorz Community,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Jon Biczak, and I'm a college student currently conducting research on online gaming communities, with a particular focus on longstanding and vibrant groups like yours. I recently stumbled upon The Gladiatorz, and I must say, I'm thoroughly intrigued, fascinated, and impressed by the longevity and vibrancy of your clan over the past 20 years.

I'm reaching out to express my admiration for the community you've built and to kindly ask if you would be open to sharing some insights. Specifically, I'm interested in understanding what drives The Gladiatorz to remain so active and alive after two decades. Your experiences and perspectives would be invaluable to my research.

If any members or leaders have a moment to spare, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you believe contributes to the enduring success and engagement within The Gladiatorz. Feel free to share your reflections here.

Thank you so much for considering my inquiry, and I genuinely appreciate your time and willingness to contribute to my research. I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about the incredible community you've built.

Best regards,

Jon Biczak

Stevens Institute of Technology

[Hess]

Hello Jon!  Stevens eh? Jersey boy?

 

I did a pulse check with the clan over the summer.  Their answers are below.

 

The real secret is people like @Rafi who has been with us since day 1, or @Beric and @Linda who maintain a constant presence and selfless leadership that keeps us floating.  Not to mention our biggest and most important aspect of inclusivity and removing rotten apples before the bunch is spoiled.  We also aren't afraid to change, try what's new, and be progressive with our governance to ensure that we are here until the end.  I'd also be remiss to not mention the integrity of our leaders and former leaders as a whole.  Also, the collective cultism of Runescape has always brought people back to us for nostalgia, permanence, and socialization. 

 

I'm glad you found us.   

 

 

On 8/17/2023 at 9:13 AM, Coalsen said:

• Why are you here? Gladz has always been a welcoming place whether I'm having a bad day or not. I can idle by and listen to people talk or read some interesting banter back and forth. I don't see that happening much in other CC's that are as active as ours. We do have a lot of unqiue personalities that blend all together very well. From Rider's down, everyone works very hard to keep everything running.
• What allowed Gladz to be the oldest active clan in the game? Can't say I know that one for sure as I've been here for almost 2 years, and I mean almost between boths periods. Leadership changed, but the root of system still stayed the same. It would 100% how things are implented and conducted.
• Why do people join a clan? To not be lonely, or get a free 6% exp that doesn't require much upkeep.  
• What is expected of the clan? Events and companionship. I've noticed a lot of newer players coming in that have an idea that getting in a clan means they can learn to progress in their own way while getting assisted by someone who is more knowledgable. I want to thank all the peeps that help get all the newer players off their feet and into 99 combat styles before the rework. It really showed a large group of players that this was the right choice for them. 
• What is the job of a clan member? Support each other and communicate. 
• What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is? Our leadership structure.

 

On 8/21/2023 at 5:53 AM, Bill Eh said:

• Why are you here? Been playing since 2004, clans are like pokemon, gotta catch them all. Gladz was a name I remembered from when I was the clan event coordinator from clan Jagz.  
• What allowed Gladz to be the oldest active clan in the game? Probably the ability to adapt though social changes over the years 
• Why do people join a clan? For friendship 
• What is expected of the clan? Provide a safe space for clan members to be themselves (within reason) and offer help in game when needed
• What is the job of a clan member? Be there for other clan members
• What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is? If in doubt, blame it on X5

 

On 8/21/2023 at 11:18 AM, Axhowler said:

Why are you here? After joining so many clans that felt so hostile towards questions or players returning, finally found The Gladiatorz and knew from day one it would be the clan to be in!

 

What allowed Gladz to be the oldest active clan in the game? 100% the community we have amongst the clan, so many different people from so many different regions makes it super interesting! 

 

Why do people join a clan? To feel like they can be part of a RuneScape family, it should be that one place that you can go to if you're feeling down and need that little bump up or if you just wanna make some friends whilst you grind! 

 

What is expected of the clan? Be friendly to everybody, and be reasonable never judge a book by its cover!  

 

What is the job of a clan member? To show new members what The Gladiatorz is all about, show them why we are the clan they need to be joining, make them want it! 

 

What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is? A pinch of sarcasm with every question asked ( you know who you are)

 

On 9/17/2023 at 10:28 PM, ExGadris said:

Why are you here?

              Socializing and meeting/making friends is the most important part of gaming for me. So having an active clan that was friendly was also important to me. I did a lot of research and looked through a lot of forums to read up on the gladz before I applied. And ever since joining I have not been disappointed. But what really sealed the deal is seeing that this clan really stand for what it says it does. Ive already made friends that I talk to on a regular basis because of this clan, and that’s worth a heck of a lot to me personally.

 

What allowed Gladz to be the oldest active clan in the game?

              I believe that what keeps a clan alive is the relationships behind the name. Ive been in plenty of guilds across different games and most of the time people are just there for the raids then back to solo. Or they are filled with clicks and so the new people get left behind and so they slowly die out. The Gladz actively pushes people to meet and interact with new people and helps foster relationships between clan members, and it is those relationships that keep this clan alive.

 

 

Why do people join a clan?

              I think this is a very subjective question. I think people join clans for a multitude of reasons: raiding and pvping, skilling, merching, socializing, etc… However the common denominator is ultimately finding other people that share a common interest with themselves.

 

What is expected of the clan?

              Theres some context missing here in my head so im going to answer this in a way that makes sense to me, that being “What do players expect of the clan”. And in my opinion players expect a clan to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming and helpful, while not being over moderated. They look for a clan to actually back up what they say they are about, and for leaders to take an active role in the clan rather than just holding a title. And finally I think they want to be seen. They don’t want to feel like they are just another number on our roster to brag about, but rather a valued and included member of the family.

 

What is the job of a clan member?

              In my opinion the job of a clan member is to be an active participating member of the clan. Whether that is helping out, or chatting up new people, or even just being that warm body that is there for new people to hang out with. Participating in clan chat occasionally is important as well as some people only use the in game chat and if they don’t see people responding it appears as if we are dead. I think it is a clan members job to be respectful to everyone no matter what their differences may be. We all come from different backgrounds, religions or lack thereof, workplaces, countries, etc… but we all share the same goal, to play games and have some fun. Especially when for people like myself this can be an escape from the stresses of life and a way to relax, not a way to argue beliefs etc…

 

What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is?

              Honestly, if I had to narrow it down to one thing it’s the relationships. The people I have met in this clan are truly friendly and welcoming, not just to me but to anyone I see them come across. And this is from the top down, I see leaders jumping in with the new guys to help with what would seem like trivial content, but to new people that’s a huge deal. And leading by example sets the tone because I see that all the way down the chain of command! I see people developing friendships, Being there for each other, and truly caring about other people. That’s hard to find in todays world of hate and finger pointing. Everyone is searching for a place to be included, everyone wants to be loved, everyone wants to feel seen, and I think the Gladz provides that. We welcome everyone no matter what their beliefs and/or background may be and we treat them like family. And I would venture to say not many other clans out there could pull off that kind of atmosphere.

 

[jbiczak]

Dear Hess,

I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for your incredibly insightful response to my inquiry about The Gladiatorz community. Your detailed input, along with the additional effort you put into finding previous discussions and perspectives, is immensely valuable for my research. I truly appreciate your time and willingness to share your knowledge. 

Go Gladz!!!

[Hess]

11 minutes ago, jbiczak said:

Dear Hess,

I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for your incredibly insightful response to my inquiry about The Gladiatorz community. Your detailed input, along with the additional effort you put into finding previous discussions and perspectives, is immensely valuable for my research. I truly appreciate your time and willingness to share your knowledge. 

Go Gladz!!!

 

You're welcome, come back anytime to chat and visit and participate in discussion!  Let us know how that research goes

[Bigm]

• What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is? If in doubt, blame it on X5

@Bill Eh

[Bill Eh]

3 hours ago, Bigm said:

• What would you say the main ingredient of our secret sauce is? If in doubt, blame it on X5

@Bill Eh

Still as true as the day I first said it 

[Rafi]

In addition to what Hess said, we’ve  very much adapted with the times as the game changes. I think we were able to do this as we never fully committed to a specific game-focused specialty. We definitely get good at the current vogue, but we never let that one element fully take over the clan. Being community first gave us the flexibility to enact change that other clans were never able to successfully do while maintaining their membership or successfully transitioning leadership.