Many questions have been asked over the years about a plethora of things within the army community. Yet, one question remains. In this post, I aim to dive into why we chose and continue to choose to play Club Penguin.

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Over the years, most likely since the creation of armies, people have questioned things such as “What is army warfare?” or “Why do we battle?”. These are not the only questions that are asked but, as the years have gone by, many more continue to be asked. Yet, one question remains, “Why did we choose/why do we keep choosing Club Penguin?”. When posing this question, I am sure that many will think that I am questioning why people come back. However, this is not the case.

The Beginning

When the first Club Penguin army was created in 2006, it inspired many members of Club Penguin to join in or to create their own armies. Out of all the games that were available during the time, they chose Club Penguin. Club Penguins only “combat” feature was players having the ability to throw snowballs. Outside of this, some mini-games could be played but these could not be played by large amounts of people at the same time (in the same game).

Ultimately, very few features on Club Penguin games can be used to create an army. Despite this, Club Penguin Army Legend, Oagalthorp and others created a combat system from the snowball feature. But why? Why try to create armies on Club Penguin? Why did they not use their creativity to create armies, or the equivalent, on other platforms?

While Club Penguin was filled with children/teens, even games rated 16-18+ were filled with young people. Games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars and other MMO games would have been better suited for armies. These games were made with player-vs-player/battle aspects in mind. World of Warcraft has been an unstoppable force within the online gaming community. When everyone thought it was done, it proved that it was not.

World of Warcraft characters

On World of Warcraft, guilds, communities and groups were formed as players teamed up to take on quests, raids and other players. A comparison could be made between Club Penguin armies and World of Warcraft. However, while there are similarities, there are a multitude of differences. As previously said, World of Warcraft was made with PVP and PVE elements in mind. Therefore, players are required to fight either with other players or AI creatures. Would this not have been the most ideal for army culture?

Additionally, World of Warcraft was arguably one of the most mainstream online games at the time. Approximately 5.5 million people played during early 2006. Whereas, Club Penguin had considerably less by a couple of million. The number of players using the game was not the reason for the creation of armies, so what was?

The Idea of Club Penguin Armies

Perhaps what intrigued Club Penguin players was the fact that the idea of fighting on Club Penguin was unconventional. Club Penguin armies were not supposed to be created. Club Penguin was a child-friendly game made for kids to play, socialise, compete and ultimately enjoy. No one could have imagined the hostile environment that would have been created by players throwing snowballs. Yet, the idea of a game made for kids, filled with kids alongside the creation of groups competing against each other was intriguing.

Kids often want to do the things they’re not meant to do, they have the desire to compete and fight to be the best. Therefore, the idea of armies and the creativity that kids have drove it to fruition and made it what it is today. So, if the idea of battling using unconventional means on a kids game was intriguing then why is it still attractive? It’s been nearly 18 years since the creation of the Army of Club Penguin, the oldest army to exist. 18 years. Let that sink in. Not even Grand Theft Auto V is going to last 18 years, with the next game already being made. What is so special about Club Penguin and armies?

In 2017, when the impending death of armies was upon us, Ulysses Nardo wrote a post about the ‘Ragnarok of Armies‘. In this post, he mentioned a game in which armies could move to. This game was NationStates, a game where players could create their own nation and play the “invasion game”. However, this route was not taken and perhaps that is because the game was not meant for communities like the army community.

Creating a Nation on NationStates

Club Penguin armies are easy to understand, and armies/players can use their creativity and socialise with others using platforms outside of the game. NationStates takes an idea derived from real-world politics and tries to put it into fruition in an online game. Yet, it lacks key features which Club Penguin armies have created over the years. Club Penguin armies are a fan-driven community, it has a massive community which can cooperatively host events whilst keeping the competitive elements alive. There’s no formal structure for armies in NationStates, whereas armies have moulded Club Penguin for that very thing.

There may be better alternatives suited for Club Penguin armies but none of them will be Club Penguin. None of the alternatives have the history that Club Penguin has with armies. Therefore, can we truly state that there is a better alternative for Club Penguin armies?

Why WE KEEP COMING BACK

The question, “Why do we keep coming back?” has been asked multiple times in the past. Myself (Coolguy) and Max theorised why army members never truly retire in 2023. Yet, the question of why members keep coming back will be asked for as long as armies exist. Nostalgia is often the aspect that is talked about when considering this question. But, nostalgia did not apply in 2006 and it does not apply to newer members of the community. So, what is the appeal? Why do we choose Club Penguin?

I would argue that we do not choose it solely for nostalgia. While many veterans may argue that nostalgia plays a massive part for them, it is not the only factor. Arguably, without the people that they know or once knew, they would not want to return. Without the army that they made their memories in, perhaps they could not return. A multitude of reasons are factored into a veteran’s return but why do people choose Club Penguin?

Currently, there are many games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and even CSGO. Arguably, none of these communities are quite like the army community. Admittedly, these games have huge fan bases and people create friendships and social groups. Yet, these are nothing like the community armies have created. Club Penguin was not even in its prime when armies were created. Even after its prime, the community continued to attract those just finding Club Penguin and those who had never even heard of Club Penguin.

Ultimately, when the army community was created, something unique was born. Not only was it born but it kept evolving, from snowball fights to a war of words with countless battles being held. Yes, there are a lot of memories within the community but there is not another community quite like the army community. The community is made up of a plethora of armies, some of which have been around for years, others are newer.

Overall, there have been hundreds of armies over the years, yet each army is connected to the wider community. Individuals who may get overlooked or may not fit into a community as big as CP or other online games may find their place within one of the multiple armies within the community. The number of options within the army community has allowed individuals to explore completely different places/groups with different ideals but remain attached to the same community.

Unlike other games, the groups within armies are not just of up to 10 people but hundreds, if not thousands of members. Most army servers are filled with thousands of members and while they will not all be active, the amount of people overall who have been involved in a single army is immense. Additionally, the people within each army can make a person’s experience that much better and more memorable.

What brings people to the community may be the same reason that people stay, the people within the community. The people who they may not be close with but who bring comfort to them in some way, shape or form. People who fight alongside us, feel our pain, feel our pride, and even argue with us. Alongside all this, the competitive nature of armies gives members the adrenaline rush that humans love, knowingly or not. The people who fight alongside us and with us, whether we love or hate them, keep us in the community.

Gaming is a massive part of many people’s lives and a simple game with drama, competition, the ability to socialise and much more allows us to get everything we need from it. It strokes our innate behaviours and gives us immense motivation to win, to survive and to play hard. All this is done while providing us with memories that we will not forget. Everyone within the community looks at the community differently but once you step out or step back in, your perception changes. Mine has changed a plethora of times over the years. Yet, the desire to reach a goal or fulfil a duty is still within all of us.

As we come back to the question of “Why Club Penguin?”, I have to ask you, why the hell not? Club Penguin has allowed us to be creative and create a community that has survived for 18 long years. The creation of armies on Club Penguin and the community has allowed us to learn from and adapt to new situations that provide us with skills and experiences we can use in real life. The people around us, while they can be incredibly annoying, can provide us with knowledge, friendships, hardships and motivation.

Thank you all for reading this post. As we conclude, be thankful that you have been part of a community with as much history as CPA has. Be thankful for the people you have met who have made you smile. Continue to reach for your goals both in and outside of CPA but do not be overcome by greed. Do not forget how you got to where you are today or the people who are around you.

~ Signing off

Coolguy

Executive Producer

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