Online Multi-player Gaming

Online multi-player gaming provides one of the largest social platforms available today. There is a game to suit just about everyone's interest. I play FPS (first person shooter) games. One such game is Black Hawk Down Team Sabre by Novalogic. I have been playing for well over 5 years and I love it! But it is not just the game itself that holds my attention. It is the friendships I have built over the years.

Many online gamers for BHDTS (Black Hawk Down Team Sabre) form squads. They are groups of online friends that ban together and meet on a regular basis to play the game. I have been with our squad for over 4 years. They have become some of my closest friends and we form a sort of family. A few of us actually communicate via phone calls. Better still, some of us have met in person.

We have internal game matches where we split the squad into two teams and go against each other. We also go up against other squads. We communicate via a small voice program called Team Speak which require speakers and a microphone. This makes the game a thousand times more enjoyable. You get to have friendly banter with one another and help your teammates locate the opposing team. Best of all, you get the hear the laughter of your teammates.

The friendships and bonds we have created are the very core of our squad. Gaming aside, we know that we can go to each other with our problems, hardships, joys and celebrations. We have a forum we use for the game. But we also share our personal lives there, too. One squad member had lost someone in their family and posted in the forum about their loss. We all banned together and gave our condolences in hopes to help him through this difficult time. I have posted many times when I needed advice, and the squad has always pulled through to be there for me. Engagements have been made, babies have been born and there has been a few divorces. We offer support to one another no matter what happens. Most importantly, we stand by our squad mates to the very end. It is amazing to me that even though we are all miles apart, we can tell if someone is upset or seems a bit off. It is not long before we get them to talk about it. We help them with whatever it is, even if it is only words of encouragement. Soon, we have them smiling again and laughing as we enjoy another good game of BHDTS.

As with any friendship, we have our ups and downs. There are the odd arguments over silly things. But in the end, we get it worked out. The apologies are made and the bonds become that much stronger. We are more than a squad, we are a family of friends.

I have to smile when someone says, "it's just a game". Perhaps they are right, BHDTS is nothing more than a game. However, the people you meet are very real. I have friends from California to the United Kingdom. And the friendships you develop over time become strong enough to make you say, "no, it's not just a game".

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Our Squad Tags.