What environment do you strive for?

[Bastard]

Just wondering guise....

[Emperor Napoleon]

I would say I like to have discipline, skill and fun. Its no good otherwise!

[Orcaryo]

A regiment cant be fun if it does not have discipline.

[ColdSniper45]

Its a tough choice, they are all important, I guess i say fun, since its just a game.

[Jacob]

I want all of them

[Van_Hulstein]

Skill is the most important for me, than disipline.
Fun comes out of skill (winning).

[TheBoberton]

Everyone I spend time playing this game with have realised that fun comes before all, so we strive for that, rather than skill or 'discipline'. Winning can be fun, yes, and I certainly attempt to improve my own skills, but I don't force it upon others within the community I'm in.

At the end of the day, only the fun you had matters, not the number of kills you and your regiment got.

[GoldenEagle]

Discipline. That is fun and bring skills.

[Walko]

Well during events discipline, but fun otherwise, after all, that is why we do this

[Deofuta]

Discipline.

Im not sure what you mean by this 'fun' business, could you describe it for me? They didn't teach that drill in my regiment.

[Millander]

Fun,

 We dont enforce Pts when commands aren't being given and headbanging is allowed. However when commands are being given and I tell them its time to act disciplined (when in live rounds) they are as disciplined as the next unit. We have found it to be a perfect mix.

[Furnardan]

TL:DR

I'm from an earlier age, at the birth of the 1stEPI, and for a long time we were very mature and very disciplined during LB's,  even inforcing pts "Permission to speak" during a battle. We asked dead players not to talk unless the whole regiment was dead, and even after we all died, we were not allowed to talk unrelated conversation. Our trainings involved not just teaching noobies the ropes, but figuring out new, more effective ways to operate the regiment, executing formations and training the men to act faster on orders. We trained at the firing range and in melee with a goal to improve skill and understand techniques, and even gave medals and awards to winners of ranged and melee competitions at trainings, which I for one will say really gave the men a drive and competitive spirit. Fun and trollish goofing off could have slowed down our progress, as we became a very powerful and influential regiment.
But as time and more time past, the regiment inevitably became more loose, the original officers became tired of their posts and resigned, and the high standards of discipline and conduct were gradually lowered. Talking and goofying off became less monitored unless it got too out of hand. The goofiness and less critical treatment DID give some players relief, being more loose as to just have fun for the casual gamers, but its at that point that I'll say the regiment lost its charm for me, including its originality. The 1stEPI is just another one of many regiments to me now, though as a plus side, it has retained much and even has the title of founding father of the Prussian Army. I was there through all of it, and even after I retired, I continued to show up periodically for a long time with the 1stEPI.

And the point of all that is, I had fun when we trained to kick ass AND for trying to be a controlled, disciplined regiment, respected(and hated) for its high standard and ambitions. Sure, we had to keep the shit-talk out of TS and the head bobbing out, but I can't say I missed that stuff anyway. I felt like I was asked to be a real soldier at times, I felt like we stood out, the overly impressing feeling of effective teamwork, it was quite inspiring to me. I had alot of fun back then, and that fun was derived from things other than trollful actions, "your mom!" jokes, or that type of atmosphere.

[Millander]

I feel many people in the NA community dont understand what the EPI has done to mold the NA community what it is today. 5arge of the epi started the first NA linebattles which in turn started the first real North american regiments. The use and doctrine of double rank most regiments do was made by the EPI. I for the past nearly 2 years have operated in a slightly modified version of the old EPI drill I learned while in them.

The EPI for a long time were the main driving forse keeping the North american linebattle going. Myself and Heinrich started the first tuesday NA battles which eventually caused battles on tuesday to be the norm.

If I were to name th single most important NA regiment ever raised for their very long history of over 2 years of activity, a revolutionary new way to look at formations that has shaped the way many of us do linebattles and has done the most to better and mold the north american community I would say it would be the 1. East Prussian Infantry. I am happy to have fought in them and alongside them at their height.

[TheBoberton]

Furnadan, the atmosphere you described as a counter to the EPI's 'superrealismshutup' - that being a troll-ish one - is usually not present in 'undisciplined' regiments. An example being my own regiment, during its 'golden age'. We'd talk and laugh and simply spend time with friends, but when the bullets started flying, we all knew what to do and whom to listen to.

And on another note; A large number of people prefer a more relaxed setting, because getting yelled at for speaking out of turn in a video game is just silly. We're here to have fun, not go to stupid lengths to make ourselves think we're Napoleonic era soldiers. If you want that, there are a great many Napoleonic and Civil War reenactment groups you can speak to. Though I must warn you that they won't likely yell at you, except perhaps during an event that requires it, because they've realised that it scares people away. (Who knew?!)

Spoiler

Also, it should be stated that, if you have to enforce 'PTS', then you've got a problem. A disciplined group knows when it's ok to speak, and when they need to be listening for orders; an  undisciplined one has to be told.

[close]

[Furnardan]

I'm sorry Boberton, but I think you may be coming on a little strong. I take it as a possibility that you didn't like the 1stEPI very much back when? I shall clarify...
For one thing, I don't recall saying other regiments were "undisciplined", but I will be bold enough to say that we were more disciplined in many ways. And... we didn't yell at everyone for every little thing, and as far as the code of conduct and talking went, we didn't have much trouble keeping order, something you'd like to quickly shoot down the possibility of. The men were well trained and yet enjoyed themselves, otherwise we wouldn't have been hosting a regular 25-30 men per event back in the day(I know numbers have dropped in many regiments these days), it didn't usually take more than a "No talking, so we can hear the orders." I mean, ya, sometimes we did have someone who wouldn't shut up or listen well, but it was usually someone very young and inexperienced to it all... and to teamwork for that matter. Many officers, for the most part, were grown men, and they handled training folks very well and with understanding, if I do say so myself. I've played with several other regiments as a guest and some are better than others at this from what I've seen, but others, the guys talked so much that the officer had to repeat orders or someone in the line didn't catch a command and part of the line is sluggish or sloppy in moving out. And for the record, the men laughed and enjoyed themselves and each other very much, had very casual times, and likewise, very disciplined times, even with a -Gasp!!- language filter! (It didn't involve every little curse word, mind you, and it was more directed towards stupid-vulgar speech just in general.)

I man like yourself should realize that there are several ways of having fun and several different folks who seek it, and not just taking the norm as the absolute way. I think one answer I'll give you for this mystery of how we could possibly have had any fun at all with this supposedly "mean-yelling-restricting-overly-dsciplined" regiment is that we didn't draw in some of the usual crowd. We drew in the players that enjoyed and desired our realism, competitiveness( I say competitive, and that holds true in certain aspects, but we actually focused more on enjoying a Line Battle whether we won or not) and, of course, our friendly and mature attitude. They either were seeking it or enjoyed it when they came. Some did leave because of our ways(Though I recall some who came to our regiment because the one they were in wasn't to their liking), but I think everyone has their personal interests, that which sways between stupid-fun through stupid-strict.
I think the best metaphor for my argument will be people and music, because humans have so many different tastes in music, and we don't all agree on the same thing... and some people might would like certain music if they'd just give it a try. I know I've had that exact experience before. I'll also use a more abstract metaphor to the topic, of godmode and sandbox vs. limitation and regulation, because, when there are no limits at all and you can do anything without even trying, an activity gets boring real quick. There has to be some control, some limitation. Man wasn't made to be god. (The latter metaphor is limited to a particular side of this argument, and does not support it as a whole, so if you can relate it in the manner intended... well then, props for you.)
And that being said, there really isn't a clear-cut way to say that you or I am dead wrong or right in our opinions on the matter, because, depending on who you're catering, we're both right. And when it comes to the "well the majority of folks," I find that to often be a matter of assumption and opinion...

(And for the record, I voted fun on the poll, but I consider the top 2 options to be conductive to the 3rd.)