CLAN INTERVIEW - THE SHADOW COMPANY

JoBildo: Let’s get the courtesies out of the way first.  Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview with us.  It’s always great to get to know one of clans a bit more.

THE SHADOW COMPANY (Bugbig):  Thank you and glad to be here.

JoBildo: Don’t mention it.  Tell us (that is the entire world) a little bit about SHADOW COMPANY.

BUGBIG: Shadow Company was founded by myself in 2004 in EQ2 on the Antonia Bayle Server.  We have attracted and retained a great group of mature, no-drama gamers and have explored together not only EQ2 but also Vanguard, Lord of the Rings, and now of course Age of Conan.

JoBildo: How would you guys classify yourselves then?  Are you a tight-knit role-play clan, a PvP clan, a casual guild?  What makes up the majority of your members?

BUGBIG:  Shadow Company is a guild of moderation, by this we mean we role-play some, we quest some, we craft some, we raid some, we will own a AoC BattleKeep for PvP Sieges, however we are not a “hardcore” guild in any one particular area. We are about having fun and being a no drama guild and truly understand real-life comes first and foremost.

JoBildo: Well, do you feel like sharing how the Clan’s run?  What’s the leadership like, and how do you guys delegate authority?  Basically, are you more Hitler or more Gandhi?

BUGBIG: Many of the company's officers have been with the guild in a measure of years. As such this cadre understands their expectations. I also publicly post the 10 leadership dimensions of SC's officers.  But to more directly answer your questions SC is run like a Military Command (something as a former U.S. Army Captain I have personal experience doing).  As such we publicly post our expectations and standards (to include a higher standard for those in a leadership position) and it’s my job, ultimately, to enforce those standards quickly and to the benefit of the guild as a whole.

JoBildo: How many folks are there currently in your Clan?

BUGBIG:  In AoC we are currently tracking over 260 toons but this includes alts.  The actual number of people behind keyboards is approximately 200.  In Lord of the Rings we have about 100 members.  EQ2 and Vanguard has been decommissioned.

JoBildo: Now, it’s a pretty popular thing in terms of guilds and clans to host events on their respective servers.  Is that something SHADOW COMPANY ever does?

BUGBIG: Definitely, it is important to bring the guild together for regular events/bonding and strangely enough to see the "face" behind the voice you see in kinship chat. Shadow Company hosts our Roll Call Event approximately twice a month. This is a formal, military formation where we give out promotions, awards, etc. Then after the formation we typically form up in squads for guild adventuring or may have a social event.

Recently SC hosted CROM’S FEAST on the Wicanna server which was in the style of a Viking Feasting Hall and had over 70 attendees from and was a blast.  In the past Shadow Company has also hosted Battle of the Bard competitions, Masquerade Balls, Reoccurring Raid & Adventure Nights, etc. The goal is to have options for our members and provide an atmosphere.

JoBildo: If you guys are recruiting for new members, can you tell us what exactly it takes to become one of the CLAN SHADOW COMPANY?  What’s required of a prospective member?

BUGBIG: First step would be to do some research on us to include reading our policies, our forums, watching our guild videos etc... all of that can be found at our website. Our requirements are simple...you are mature, friendly, and respectful and can adhere to our posted code of conduct. Dishonor, disrespect, "leetness" or drama is not tolerated.



SC has attracted and retains an older gamer, typically 25-45 but we have members 60+ to include Bugbig's role-play daughter, Seaufly who has 12 grandchildren (sorry Sea if I'm posting your age!).  Our members come from all wakes of life and geographic regions; for example we have military officers/enlisted, PhD’s, Police officers, Published writers, Agency Directors, all within ranks to name a few of our folks.

JoBildo: Alright, that concludes the interview.  Thanks so much guys for taking the time to answer these questions and letting the community know everything they could want to know about SHADOW COMPANY.

BUGBIG:  Thank you for the opportunity and I truly want to thank Ten Ton Hammer for keeping me up to date with my daily news read on this hobby we all so love and enjoy.