The above (click the picture to see it full-size) is a shot from Friday, January 22nd, during our weekly Friday night TF2 event. This takes place every week on the same server, thanks to our affiliates, the All Originals Server Community! Leading BLU is me, [TAGJ] Origin [AO]. Leading RED is Mr. Wirefly, [TAGJ] Eden [AO]. He and I were the only ones representing TAGJ at that point, though we usually have a much better turnout. Regardless, the screenshot is epic.

Now, to explain the mysterious “TAGC”. It stands for The Astringent Gaming Community, but what is that? Well, let me put it like this…

• Have you ever sat at home, playing a multiplayer game, thinking to yourself, “Ugh. I might actually play this game more often if people actually listened to each other!” as you leave the server, hoping desperately that the next one you join has at least one other person who knows how to play?
• Have you ever thought, “That guy is so good! How in the world is he top of his team every single round?” assuming that he must be either hacking or born better than you while he silently dominates the leaderboard, refusing to help you learn?
• Have you ever wanted to join a top clan for your game of choice, musing “I have the skill to join those guys. They’ve even invited me! But I don’t have time to play as much as they do. I’d get kicked out in a week!” as you resign to simply remain unaffiliated?

What we’re seeking to do with TAGC is provide a solution to all of those problems. We’ve all been there at least once, after all.

My theory is thus: if you bring together respectable gamers (see definition below) from any and all corners of the globe, they will mix, match, make friends, have fun, and further organize themselves, yet the precipitate that forms at its heart will be a monolithic, Utopian society of competitive but compassionate people linked by a common, lifestyle-defining interest.

Respectable gamers should:

• Be willing to learn (The metagame is always evolving. There is always something left to learn about a multiplayer game.)
• Be willing to teach (If you’re that guy dominating the leaderboard every round, teach everyone else so you can have a challenge!)
• Be willing to communicate (Talk to the other members of TAGC; make some friends!)
• Be open-minded (Yes, this is the internet. No, that doesn’t mean you’re the only one with a valid opinion.)
• Express your thoughts (If you have an idea for TAGC, no matter how obvious, simple, or stupid it may seem, email me: originofbob@astringentgaming.com)

I know this isn’t an uncommon desire. I know this has been tried before. What makes this different? What makes us deserve your support? We’re not doing it to make money. You’re not going to see “Subscribe now! Only $4.99 per month!” ads on this site. When you click a link, you’re not going to see a full page ad you get to skip just to get to what you actually wanted to see. We’re not going to send you spam.

What we will do is allow you to support us if you choose to. Expect a PayPal donation button somewhere and T-shirts for sale in the near future. But we’re not going to beg, and we’re not going to annoy you. As long as I have a place to live and can pay for food, I’m absolutely committed to making this the best that it can be.

If we’re lucky, you’re now thinking “This sounds awesome! Where can I sign up?” Well, Mr. Wirefly and I aren’t a huge grab-bag of social networking tools. We’re Just 2 Guyz. So…

If you play PC games:

• Download Steam (for free!) here, get some multiplayer games, and join our group. As of this posting, we have 48 members, with just over 1400 hours of time playing games in the last week between us.
• If you primarily play a game that isn’t supported by Steam (Starcraft, anyone?) and are looking for a group, shoot me an email.
• If you own a gaming server and are looking for more traffic, shoot me an email.
• If you run a gaming clan and are looking for skilled players or someone to affiliate with, shoot me an email.

If you play console games:

• We need someone to take the initiative here. The only current console I own is an Xbox 360, and while I do have an Xbox Live subscription, I don’t have time to use it much.
• If you’ve got a group of experienced console gamers who would like to become affiliated with AGC, shoot me an email.
• If you’d be interested in managing the console side of TAGC, shoot me an email.
• If you have any more ideas, shoot me an email.

My email, again, is originofbob@astringentgaming.com.

Unification of gamers on this scale used to seem ludicrous, until the amazing guys at Penny Arcade came along and made PAX. There’s a soul to PAX that was unseen until its inaugural date.

So let’s be hypothetical: what if you joined us, and told your friends? What if 30 people did that? What if the friends of those 30 told their friends? What if we could tap into some of that PAXian energy at any moment of any day?

What if this worked?

I want it to. Mr. Wirefly wants it to. And I’d like to think that you do too, but it’ll take your help (yes, yours) to make it happen. Comment! Email me! Tell your friends! Post about this on your blog! Post a link on your Facebook! Post a link on your Twitter! Participate in any way you can, and let’s see what happens! Expect a new TAGC section of the site soon.