The world of groups within ROBLOX is ever-expanding. I’ve always known groups as a large part of the ROBLOX experience, but I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went until I started investigating them in the first entry of this series. Suffice to say, the investigation continues! There isn’t a strict theme for this edition of Group Dynamic; instead, I tried to keep away from the military and competition-based theme of the first article and participate in other types of events and activities. I trained with the Serenity Samurai. Piloted massive pirate ships through cannon fire with the RBRN. Got into some Light Fights with the Klam Knights. Talked with a key member of the X-101st about ranks. All of this is ahead in this edition of Group Dynamic!

Training With the Serenity Samurai

Arigato Himeji! This was so much fun. The Serenity Samurai are a smaller ROBLOX group consisting of just over a thousand members, but they have one anothers’ back and share an infectious camaraderie. Their overall ideology is rooted in ancient Asian tradition–they dress in heavy, blue robes and wield weapons that Samurais used in ancient Japan (the Katana, the Yumi Bow, the Yari, which is a cool spear-like weapon). This wasn’t the type of training I’ve become accustomed to–this training focused on discipline, learning to work and move as a unit, and creating strategic battle patterns that maximize damage while minimizing casualties.

Most of the orders were written in Japanese (they addressed me as afackler san), so it took me a bit to fall in line. We learned about various battle patterns, their benefits and downfalls, then worked on executing them. We made intricate battle patterns with the Yari, practiced firing patterns with the single-shot rifles, then did formation and target training on a ride overlooking a temple and a tree. During each exercise the leader, Invidius, asked many questions–which was also a welcome departure. Usually in the training sessions I’ve attended, the person leading is commanding everyone to do as they’re told. This leader was attentive and engaged. After we fired our bows at the tree, he asked, “Could each of you tell me one unique part of your bow and arrow?” Everyone responded. “The main thing to notice,” he finally retorted, “is that the arrows are covering the tree. These are not bullets. Each arrow takes its own unique path.”

There’s something to be said about the weapon loadout this group uses, because as soon as the battle training started, I was having a blast. It’s the perfect strategic assortment of weapons. The battle training pit two sides on each side of the map, and the objective was to take out the other side. Simple enough, yet there was so much danger. The bow and arrow and rifle can provide long-distance fire, while the Yari and Katana allow for great melee battles. The balance was intense. Arrows rained from the sky as more hardened players clashed swords in the center of the map. I found a combination that worked wonders for me: I would line up a medium-distance shot with the rifle, swap out to my bow and arrow to provide cover while I pushed forward, then unleash my katana at the enemy line.

Light Fighting with the Klam Knights

Watch this:

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Light Fighting is a unique experience that the Klam Knights partake in every now and then, and I’m glad I got the chance to document it. When Light Fighting, a map is split into two grids, full of clickable blocks on the floor. Each of these blocks is used to shoot a beam of light that can be used to ensnare opponents. If you’re standing over a block that emits an opponent’s light, you are ejected from the game and sidelined until the next battle. This becomes a very strategic game based on predictions (you have to guess where your opponent will move) and precision (you can only light grids that are a couple of studs away from you).

Though their group is small, I enjoy keeping tabs on what the Klam Knights are doing. They’ve created all sorts of unique games and innovative events that can only be experienced by joining their ranks, and I look forward to finding and reporting on more of their activities.

Naval Raiding With the RBRN

This will be a brief summary, as I still don’t fully understand what exactly happened. I jumped into this naval raid at the last minute, and it was total madness. I had been told by the Royal British ROBLOXian Navy that we were raiding the French, and before I knew it I was on a ship heading into a distant battlefield.

The chat log was being filled with orders. Different members of the group were tasked with different things to do–and the RBRN was nice enough to let me play Captain (meaning I could pilot one of the war ships at sea), which turned out to be a mistake. I steered the ship in the direction of the cannon fire I could make out in the distance. I was told to pull alongside an enemy ship, and as soon as I arrived my men began firing cannons at the enemy ship, the resulting explosions sending several limbs sailing into the sea. The feeling of triumph didn’t last long, though; the ship immediately returned fire. Apparently as acting Captain I was supposed to move the ship as we were firing (I’m new to this, sorry) rather than parking it, and we paid for my negligence. The returning cannon blasts ruptured the hull of ship and sank us all. Lesson learned.

Talking leveling-up with X-101st Major General francis147

After attending a training session with the X-101st group, I had a brief chat with a long-time member about the idea of “ranking” in groups and the different ways to earn higher and more prestigious ranks:

ROBLOX: I’m just starting to get familiar with rankings in groups, but have a few questions I was hoping I could get answered. As you rank up, do your responsibilities change? And who keeps track of who gets what rank? Who decides what certain ranks can and can’t do?

francis147: It’s a little complicated currently, and we’re undergoing some reforms to change the rules. For now, you start as a low-ranking officer when you join the group, and you raise your level by participating in raids or trainings. When you become a middle-ranking officer you can only be promoted further by raiding, and you have to enroll in the Officers Academy. Once you graduate from OA (Officer’s Academy) you get several duties you have to perform to continue up through the ranks. You help welcome newcomers, teach them the rules, and make sure they follow them. You’ve also got to start hosting training sessions, like the one you participated in today. We have a council of five very high-ranking officials that handle the promotions, demotions and foreign relations.

ROBLOX: How did you get such a high rank?

francis147: Originally the guy who was second in command left X-101st to start a rebellion. He took a large amount of the hierarchy with him, and the leader needed experienced people to fill gaps. The rebellion grew to the same size as X-101st and we warred with them for a long time.

ROBLOX: I think a lot of people are curious about groups on ROBLOX, but the whole thing can be intimidating at first. Any advice for starting out?

francis147: If you’re interested, start by reading the rules or guidelines of the group you’re thinking about joining. You can usually find these at the groups’ main page, and it will help you understand what they’re all about. Join and make sure to frequently attend trainings, raids, and just stay active. You’ll work your way up the ladder much faster than you think!

This was only small taste of the vast world of groups, but it signifies the deep social interactions and imaginative gameplay that emerges on ROBLOX. We’ll be continuing to cover group activities for more Group Dynamic articles in the future, so stay tuned.