SELF-ORGANIZATION, ADAPTATION AND "SWARMING" OF WARRIOR GROUPS IN GUILD WARS 2
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SELF-ORGANIZATION, ADAPTATION AND “SWARMING” OF
WARRIOR GROUPS IN GUILD WARS 2
Petr Kalinič
Fakulta filozofická, Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
Karlovarská 1210/99, Plzeň, e-mail: kalinic@ksa.zcu.cz
Abstract:
This paper will be focused on the emergent organization of warrior groups that exist in the
virtual environment of Guild Wars 2 (GW2). This warrior community is highly mobile,
fragmented into autonomous units and operates with sources of meta-information which are
located outside of the original niche of the game. I would analyze their coordination and
adaptation mechanism (so-called “zerg”) which resembles current real-world military
organization that is based on the principles of permanent feedback loop. This paper will be
interdisciplinary and will also highlight the possible practical applications of my research –
the correlation between analyzed game activities and contemporary state of real-world
warfare. Phenomena like asymmetric tactics, parasitism and loose non-hierarchical forms of
organization will be mentioned and put into context. My article will also show that gaming
concepts can be used to analyze and better understand contemporary military practice –
mainly rooted in “military swarming”.
Key words: non-hierarchical organization, rush, zerg, swarming, raiding
INTRODUCTION – INFORMATION ABOUT GW2 AND EARLY RESEARCHES
Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) made by
ArenaNet and released in August 2012. The game itself is set in the persistent phantasy world
of Tyria which is inhabited by more than 460.000 players from all around the real world. In
many aspects the game is similar to the legendary MMO World of Warcraft. Both games use
the same gaming system based on the process of vertical progression of the player-controlled
character (also known as char or avatar) through participation on huge number of tasks or
events. The basic form of event is a battle with a hostile non-player character. After the
elimination of the enemy, the player is rewarded with experience points (the unit of
measurement for vertical progress), gold and/or karma (forms of in-game currency) and loot –
usually some kind of rare items or valuable resources which can be sold on trading post (to
earn even more gold) or crafted into another useful items – mainly weapons and armor
(EdwardsLin, 2014; Tap Dat Mouse, 2014).
In comparison with the legendary World of Warcraft (the leader of MMO genre) GW2 shows
one “non-traditional” element – the whole game is based on “dynamic events”. The
environment of the game constantly changes and players have to adapt for the current
situation of the protean niche in order to be able to re/shape it through individual or collective
effort. Some large events (killing of a dragon, defeating an undead army or defending
strongholds) require and stimulate the need for coordination and cooperation between dozens
of players. In order to play more effectively and maximize the profit from dynamic events,
players also engage in specific forms of online knowledge production and create a wide range
of so-called dragon timers, build editors and even their own Guild Wars 2 Wiki – a
modification of Wikipedia which contains more than 35.000 articles (ThePrinceOfMillAve,
2013; Guild Wars 2, 2012; Guild Wars 2 Wiki, 2014a).Because of the dynamic nature of the game itself and active player's communication (via
chats, emails and TeamSpeak), adaptation and knowledge production (creation and use of
external online sources of information), the GW2 community is a perspective terrain for
conducting a scientific research. Data from MMO games have been already used by real-
world epidemiologists and security analysts to develop more effective models of protection
against epidemics and biological terrorism (Ziebart, 2011). My own research is rooted in so-
called virtual ethnography which represents the intent to study virtual environments and their
inhabitants through active engagement. My paper would like to further develop the findings
of Alex Golub who conducted his research in WOW and analyzed the phenomena of raiding,
knowledge production, professionalization and described parallels between virtual and real-
life military organization and tactics (Golub, 2010).
1. PLAYER'S SELF-ORGANIZATION – THE ZERG
One of the most interesting forms of organization and adaptation in GW2 is called zerg.
Figure 1 shows an ideal zerg which can be defined as a large and loosely organized group of
players who are trying to achieve a common goal through temporary en masse cooperation.
This seemingly chaotic convergence of players exhibits emergent features and usually
“spontaneously” arises around a noticeable center of gravity – around a commander whose
insignia is clearly visible for others (two commander tags are highlighted in red circles). The
commander serves as the focal point of the constituting “swarm” and determines its
movement speed and direction. Zerg usually forms during large events and profitable farming
opportunities (farming is the emic term for gathering or looting of valuable materials on such
a large scale that it resembles a harvest). The basic essence of a collective zerg is thus based
on simple utilitarian calculations – on the idea of temporary ad hoc cooperation which results
into significant individual profit (Guild Wars 2 Wiki, 2014b; SignsOfKelani, 2013).
Fig. 1 Typical Example of a Zerg in Guild Wars 2
(Source: GW2, author's own screenshot archive)
This opportunistic mob is in constant motion, new people are joining the fight (converging)
and injured or fully saturated players are retreating (dispersing). The whole aggregate also
simultaneously uses mêlée and range attacks to defeat the enemy. After completing the
common task (killing and looting the enemy), the zerg usually fragments into small groups or
even into individual players. This self-organized ecology thus seems to be accidental and
chaotic, but it is fully deterministic and represents an open system full of dynamic andnonlinear actions – the very basic aspects of real-world postmodern warfare (AyinMaiden,
2013; Ilachinski, 2004: ixv).
2. MILITARY TACTICS – THE RUSH AND “SWARMING”
The real-life military analogy of zerg is called swarming. Swarming tactics is defined as a
seemingly amorphous, but deliberately structured, coordinated, and strategic (long-term) way
to strike from all directions, by means of sustainable pulsing of force and/or fire, close-in as
well as from stand-off positions. The concept is focused on the deployment of myriad, small,
dispersed, decentralized, inter/connected and semi/autonomous units engaging in convergent
maneuver on common target (Arquilla – Ronfeldt, 2000: 21, 45). These units of action stay in
permanent motion, continuously adapt and use hit-and-run attrition tactics – they avoid
problematic combat situation (that would result into an uncertain outcome or a loss) and seek
asymmetric opportunities that would favor the flock and thus lead to better individual profit
(Edwards, 2003: 2).
Fig. 2 Swarming Tactics Scheme
(Source: Edwards, 2003: 3)
This strategy was recently successfully applied by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) which is a heterogeneous and dynamic terrorist franchise that erupted “out of
nowhere”. The organization of ISIL could be defined as a zerg/swarm of international Sunni
fighters who “flocked to the banner” (or commander tag) of the charismatic leader known
under the nickname or nom de guerre Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The whole economic and
military infrastructure of this organization is elusive and based on easily deployable modular
crude oil refineries and highly mobile weaponized pickup trucks (also known as technicals).
The potential of this entity is largely based on looting and parasitism – on smuggling, bank
robberies, harsh taxation of subjugated civilians, plundering of ammunition stockpiles,
cooptation of militants and on pillaging and exploitation of resources of Iraq and Syria. To be
able to maintain the mobility and frenetic pace of territorial expansion, the combatants of ISIL
even use performance-enhancing drugs based on amphetamine which are also familiar to
current regular armies (Al Jazeera, 2014; Black – Chulov – Tran, 2014; Henley, 2014).
CONCLUSIONThe main goal of this paper was to briefly show that there are many important parallels
between the player's organization in dynamic virtual environment and the current state of real-
world warfare. The zerg/swarming paradigm was relatively successfully applied by a terrorist
organization that now endangers the basic existence of two regular states in the region. The
structure of ISIL shows many striking similarities with the in-game zerg – both emerge as a
result of an unnoticed convergence of heterogeneous groups and individuals (indigenous as
well as from all around the world) under the leadership of a charismatic and visible
commander who is known and respected under his false name. The dominance of this militant
franchise is achieved through significant levels of aggressive mobility, persistent maneuver,
constant adaptation and brutally effective acquisition (looting) of resources. This all shows
that self-organizing, distributed and decentralized gaming concepts are rather competent not
only to analyze and emulate, but also to simulate, enhance and even outpace the development
of real-world military strategy and tactics.
REFERENCES:
1. Al Jazeera (2014). US says airstrikes targeted ISIL-run oil refineries. Retrieved
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2. Arquilla, John – Ronfeldt, David (2000). Swarming and the Future of Conflict. RAND
Corporation: Santa Monica.
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the-corrupted-blood-plague/You can also read
