I vividly remember my first day in WWIIOL. I spawned into Vireaux and wandered around aimlessly for an hour or so. I checked out the buildings, the AB, perused the landscape. I randomly pushed buttons on my keyboard and clicked on stuff to see what would happen. Then I got shot in the noggin and understood why tourism dropped drastically in France in the late '30's.

I was confused, excited and unfocused. And this was in the days before HC's, AO's, brigades, TOEs, mobile spawns, area chat, squad channels, mission leaders, contact reporting, heck, even before spawnables had solid floors and walls.

Battleground Europe has evolved dramatically since the easy, breezy days of 2001.  While it's never been lacking in accuracy and detail, today it has evolved into a game that demands a certain level of commitment and enthusiasm from it's players. And for a new player who hasn't been exposed to it, it can be a challenge to learn and excel at.  Even with our great Trainer Corps and the new Training GUI that will be added with 1.29, the complexity and focus on realism will still hold BE apart from other MMOs on the market.

I'd like to ask you to think back to your first few days in BE:WWIIOL. Confused? Unsure? A bit overwhelmed?  Felt like you had a giant sign hanging over your head that screamed "noob"?  Oh wait... It's old hat now for most of us. But there are still days when I have to smack myself on the forehead for doing something utterly stupid.  And that's when I think "Gee, this game is still challenging and I've been playing for 7 years!". 

And so I'd like to thank those in the community that go out of their way to take a "Green Tag" under their wing and help them understand the ins and outs of our great game, be you Trainer or veteran player.  Those that patiently answer questions, explain the chat system, give lifts, act as tour guides, and never assume that someone is cheating or a spy simply because they wander around like lost kids...You guys are instrumental in allowing those "noobs" to become adept players who will someday lead others to victory on these virtual battlegrounds.

S!