Being In A Clan

17 years of clan matches, rambling conversations and… weddings.

- John Strike

In 2001 I played the demo of Operation Flashpoint for the first time, courtesy of PC Gamer’s cover disc. A month later, after the release of the full game, I found myself in love with its multiplayer and at the start of an intriguing journey that I’ve been on ever since.

In prehistoric times, hosting a multiplayer mission in GameSpy with a 56K modem was like trying to race a camel whilst tied to a bungee rope. In 2001 Operation Flashpoint’s map editor was exceptional but, given my 56K connection, the only way I could play my homemade missions publicly was if I sent the files to people with better connections so they could host them. That was how our clan really began, and a year or so later we’d rented our own public server and begun using TeamSpeak 2.

‘Striker, are you there?’ a muffled voice called out through my tinny Logitech speakers. I hated answering phones, and the first time I used TS2 I was filled with dread. Despite that, everyone was lovely and I soon realised I’d struck up some meaningful friendships. One person came to visit me in Newcastle, another invited me up to a wedding in Fort William and showered me with haggis.