When Battlecry was originally thought up, some idiot (don't look at me) had the "good" idea of including a topical and relevant debate concerning an issue affecting the TIE Corps. Nobody considered that it might devolve into an opportunity for ranting lunatics to ascend a soapbox, or for others with violent tendencies to vent their frustrations. Still, foraying into the world of the experimental, we ventured with the initial subject: Should only the Aggressor Strike Force be allowed to participate in TIE Corps multiplayer events?

The topic has always been a touchy one, and very divided. In the end, a general consensus seemed to form that all TIE Corps pilots should be able to participate in multplayer events ... but then again, the majority of TIE Corps personnel likewise serve in either the Battlegroups or on the Sovereign. It is perhaps appropriate to kick off the proceedings with Major Shups, recently awarded a well-deserved Grand Order of the Emperor for his work with the multiplayer side of the TIE Corps: "If only ASF people could play on OR night, I would not be able to participate in one of the most fun things I do in the EH TC. After all we are here to have fun ... would we only allow TF based squadrons and ships to play the TIE battles ...?"

This neatly surmises the burgeoning point of those who believe that multiplayer events such as Outer Rim Night should be universal: the matter is one of exclusion. It would be as unfair to exclude the Sovereign and the Battlegroups from participating in multiplayer events as it would be to ban the Aggressor Strike Force from flying TC-TIE battles or free missions. ""Let's not forget that some of our best pilots are non-ASF (ShadowXX, Freelancer and Fel are a few examples)" says Commander Archon. "Granted, we have some good pilots in the ASF, but without the representation of all of our top pilots, the EH ability to win against other organisations would be significantly less."

On the other side of the fence, Rear Admiral TopDawg states his opinion: "I think that only the ASF should be allowed to represent the TC in online MP comps because it would otherwise defeat the purpose of the ASF completely. If the new recruits want to play MP, then join the ASF. But I think that pilots outside the ASF shouldn't be able to play, otherwise there really is no point to the ASF's existence."

Major Ace Pilot takes up TopDawg's point and expands it further: "There is no real reason for anybody to be in the ASF because there is such a lack of things to do. If Outer Rim was only made available to the ASF it would make it much more attractive to be there. If Outer Rim was open to everyone then there would be no point in the ASF. Until the ASF can get more activities going I say Outer Rim should be closed to everyone but the ASF."

And so we come to what appears to be the main argument for making multiplayer competitions ASF-exclusive: that events such as Outer Rim Melee Nights lend the Aggressor Strike Force its sense of identity. The original form of the ASF, the Aggressor Wing, was set up and designed solely to fly at OR Nights, but it appears that the expansion into the Aggressor Strike Force has lost this identity and purpose.

In response to the growing argument that making OR Nights ASF-exclusive would be desirable to increase the skill of pilots flying, and the number of victories, Joker indignantly replies: "The idea of only only group of people being allowed to play on-line stuff is ridiculous. If anyone had the common sense to actually figure out that the EH is an online club for fun then you might find out that people who really are horrible at most games like to play these games because they think that they are fun."

So what does it all really boil down to in the end? It seems to come to a simple argument: restricting multiplayer events to the Aggressor Strike Force would help increase the popularity and the stability of the ASF. But this would require the sacrifice of the basic right of every member to be able to have fun by participating in any activity they like, no matter what their skill.

To generalise it one stage further, the TIE Corps can show one of two faces to those clubs who we fight against on-line: a group which has a highly-trained group of specialist pilots determined to win, or a group which places the enjoyment of its members above the vanity of victory.

It is not likely to be a question which will go away in the near future, but it is one which poses us a defining, and stunningly simple question:

Just what are our priorities?

Article written/edited by Vice Admiral Ricaud (valricaud@aol.com). Visit the TC Magazine Debate Board at http://www.sitepowerup.com/mb/view.asp?BoardID=114602 and voice your opinions.