[Grognard]

Game Leadership...

I have been thinking about this, and am attempting to come up with, what I believe are the qualifications for leading in games, especially a game like PS2. The context here, of course, is not going to rise to the level of a military or police officer, so I am defining the core concept. The thing I am looking for here is, what would I want, bare minimum, to feel like I can have a good time, and get things done with... "this guy/gal"? Here is what I have so far...

1. Willingness:
This is just the mental disposition to lead gamers, and can run the spectrum from the person who just wants to experiment with their horizons in a gaming environment, to the individual who steps up to the plate and gets things done because no one else will, to the wannabe hero who think they are Gods gift... Point is, without the willingness to do it, feet will drag, mistakes are more likely happen, and the most impactful will be zero ambience of enthusiasm...

2. Ability:
This can come from a lot of things... brains, life experiences, game know-how, the way someone expresses themselves, etc. At some point, the person in question needs to be able to make sensible decisions, and put them into action.

3. Credibility:
There is ability, then there is the perception of ability... and this can come from a lot of different sources, age, longevity with game, associations (like outfit membership), knowledge of life experiences, in game performance, etc. Sometimes people will just not follow others... for instance, a player may understand the game, be a good at it, and want to run a squad, and be 7 years old... people just have various "deal breakers" in their heads. People want a sense of security that they are "in a good place".

So far, I think these three are a good start on what people look for, to lead in a game. I also think outfit leaders look for these things, in others, as prospects for promotion to improve their officer corps.

So, if you are a player, or an outfit leader, what are some of the litmus tests that go through your mind?