Commander Prior found this to be a concise overview of how CPA armies operate, its history, and the compelling challenges and situations currently faced in this political climate.
But first, today, we celebrate seven weeks in a row on the CPA Top Ten Army list:
The DMT Doctrine: Where do we go From Here?
Posted on July 8, 2019 by DMT
KLONDIKE, Club Penguin Armies Offices- As Club Penguin Armies nears it’s three month anniversary, I’ve taken the time to reflect on the community and it’s current status. The growth has been steady since our inception, which only begs one question: what now?
The DMT Doctrine is an editorial series that comes from the mind of CPA Spokesperson and Administrator DMT. Thus, the concepts conveyed in this article do not represent the viewpoints of Club Penguin Armies an organization.
I wish I had acquired wisdom at less of a price.
Some folks from the original era of Club Penguin armies headed up a group to host a reunion on Discord, to commemorate all the good and bad times in the communities lucrative history that spans over a decade. As I was gearing up to actually use Discord, I received an Instagram direct message from my friend Greeny. We did some reconnecting just days before the reunion launched, and he showed me what the army community had become, or been reduced to. At first I was pleasantly surprised to see such a big part of my childhood (7 years in fact) still alive, but my happiness quickly transitioned to confusion and borderline disgust. The army community was fragmented and segregated by different private servers. Old heads from days past had risen up to create “leagues” that lost the purpose of armies. After convincing, I got on board with Greeny’s plan to bring back the organization known as “Club Penguin Armies”, that was originally founded by Commando in 2016.
The idea transformed from hosting the map to becoming a hybrid of CPA and Club Penguin Army Central, the former media juggernaut. It was an ambitious idea, but I was excited to have a fun little side project for a few months. But I had no idea about the community I had entered. Before CPA had even posted their first top ten, the infamous organization known as CPOAL approached us with a proposition. At first, I couldn’t even entertain the offer; seeing CPOAL was what made me want to return to the army community. As my good friend Eden once said, “CPOAL is basically an army internment camp”. But as negotiations went on, my consideration for a merger increased. Luckily, I was talked off that ledge by Greeny and some others once I was exposed of the wrongdoings that high ranks at CPOAL and CPO had committed. Horrible, horrible things that put the status of community members on the line. CPA retracted from negotiations immediately.
This sent our lives into an immediate hellfire inferno launched by CPOAL. Every vile thing one could think of was threatened towards us for not conforming to the demands from Epicmaster101. Yet, it only made us thirst for a better community more. Thanks to our benefactors, such as DrFlen, Commando, CSY, Eden, Superhero, and many more, CPA was able to solidify itself as an organization to be trusted. The rewards soon followed, as we were entrusted with housing big name armies such as the Elite Guardians and Rebel Penguin Federation. If one had told me this is what would’ve happened in 2 1/2 months, I would’ve said “then my work is completed”.
Yet, there is something still keeping me here.
Sure, the foundation for CPA is amazing. We have two of the largest, legitimate armies in the community, and other quality armies such as Mopia, the Lime Green Army, the Wild Ninjas, and the rest of the lot. Yes, I am able to work with two of my longest friendships and great partners in Greeny and Memmaw, who get stuff done., but I feel that the hardest part of the journey lies ahead of the community now. How does the community continue to grow?
The pool of community members is currently experiencing an imbalance. It wouldn’t be outrageous to assume that more than 75% of our community is in RPF, EGCP, or Mopia. These three armies have established themselves as the cream of the crop in terms of consistently large sizes. With how hard recruiting is for members who are just getting their start in armies, it’s easy to attribute the success of the aforementioned three to a single trait. RPF has been an army juggernaut for 12 years now, EGCP is the largest Portuguese army in the community, and the idea of a gang of mops over at Mopia is appealing to the casual player.
The problem with such a majority of the community being in the top three armies is how it saturates the community. Loyalty means so much more now to this community, from what I’ve gathered. Seldom will one see a troop leave it’s army to start their own. And why would they? When there’s an upper echelon group of armies that’s leagues ahead of the rest, what’s the point in putting the effort in to build something from scratch? Their are so many pressures that are put on leaders of small armies that it’s daunting. Claim land, maintain diplomacy, find a way to recruit without getting banned. The roadblocks to success are thicker than they ever have been.
The server map itself is a wonderful idea that gives armies a much more political purpose. No longer is the main prize a top ten calculated by some dork at 2 AM on a Sunday morning. The extra depth the map brings is crucial to keeping armies; leaders and troops alike, motivated to stay in the community. The problem is that every army on the server map is large enough to the point that they will most likely trump a freshly registered army. The repeated failure of trying to get on the map will weigh hard on a first time leader; and make them some enemies in the process.
With the integration of Discord into the army community, armies are as personable as ever. There was never a central hub for armies on Xat, and no one had the ability to carry Xat in their pocket to check up on things. Everyone in the community is much more connected than in days past, which is both good and bad. It allows everyone to stay up to date on the happenings in the community, but at the same time, it creates a whole new level of diplomacy. Everything that’s said in a server can spread easily. It forces army leaders to keep a filter on themselves in public discord servers, and save important matters for DMs.
Perhaps I am overestimating the difficulty of recruiting nowadays. Maybe building up an army is not as much of a challenge as I think it is. But then, I question the amount of dedication behind an army. Once summer ends, there is no doubt that many armies, while not officially closing their doors, will slow down their event count; even going a full week without an event. Years ago, this was manageable, because there were enough armies and people in the community to maintain a shape. Now, I fear for what will happen when the inevitable regression takes place.
Armies are such a captivating concept. Putting a kid in charge of a group of more kids, and having many groups enter a fray involving real word concepts such as foreign affairs, land management, and productivity. The community is truly a sight to see when there are multiple armies operating on all cylinders. But, this is hard to do when the position of leader is not attractive. There must be a way to return the status of being a leader to it’s former glory.
The best part of armies will always be subjective, but for me, it was the aspect of managing foreign affairs. Even the prospect of world wars excited me. A chain reaction of armies ticking each other off and getting their allies involved as separate entities. I believe that wars and external struggles are the peak of the army community. Right now, many army leaders are afraid to make official declarations of war. Instead of having an imperialistic outlook on the map, or having an aggressive approach in diplomacy, most armies schedule individual invasions to slowly build an empire. While an effective strategy in achieving it’s primary goal, it’s not very good at exciting troops. Sooner or later, the concept of a battle will wear off it’s allure, and it will become almost as pedestrian as a training session.
My time in armies was such an enriching experience throughout my childhood. Many of my days were spent in and out of the hospital, battling various illnesses, mental and physical. The army community can truly be a remedy, a way out of all the bullshit reality hands us. Our own little word where the friends and enemies we make on the battlefield are hundreds of miles apart. I’m healthy now, but the everlasting effect that the community gave me is something I want to ensure for the long term future. If I was lucky enough to receive a community that gave me life, so should others in the community.
Our work is far from over. I, as do my partners, have so much to offer to the new generation of leaders. Together, the guidance of the veterans and the willpower of the leaders can unite to create a thriving community. While the growth of Club Penguin Armies has been nothing short of amazing, it’s a long road to reach equilibrium in the community. As time goes on, the new generation of leaders will learn from those who owned the battlefield before them. In years time, when I look back on the story of the new community, I hope to see it as a story of endurance. A community, united through it’s struggles. All it takes, is a people, together.
The Earth, the water… they have no pride. They endure, and we must endure. My only boy… my precious boy; do not mistake my strength for weakness.
DMT
CPA Spokesperson
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