Graphic from www.nguyen12blog.blogspot.com
Charlie Sosnick
Web Manager
Doodle Jump. Cut the Rope. Tiny Wings. These are just some of the many memorable titles in the iOS app Hall of Fame, but none have been taken up with such passion and enthusiasm at our school as Clash of Clans. This sprawling virtual kingdom of castles, dragons, elixirs and orcs has taken the high school by storm, claiming a tight-knit coalition of players around the school who join together in small groups to battle as a clan.
In the game, players start out with a plot of land on which to build a base. They can then add a plethora of different buildings and items to prepare for battle. Groups of up to 50 people can join together as a clan and share troops for military success. Successful attacks on other bases can be used to win gold and elixir, which is spent on improving your base.
The game has become so popular in part because gameplay is an almost constant experience, with avid players spending lots of time training troops and attacking. Sophomore Patrick Hompe devotes much of his time toward developing his base. “What makes it particularly special is its portability, because it’s on the iPhone,” Patrick said.
Junior Naomi Newman started playing the game a few weeks ago, but takes a less involved approach toward gameplay. “I like it because it only takes a few minutes a day to play and you can still progress through the game,” she said. “Plus, you can also work with your friends.”
Your performance in the game earns you trophies, which is a unit of achievement within the game. Trophies are won by successfully attacking other bases or defending your own. The players around the world with the highest trophy count are featured on a leaderboard.
Jorge Yao, the number one player in the world and perhaps the game’s most famous player, is a constant feature on the game’s leaderboard. His success has created an avid fan base for him around the school. Patrick frequently interacts with Yao and other players on Jorge Yao’s Facebook fan page. “Jorge is just a daily inspiration to us all,” Patrick said. “His commitment to the game, leadership in the community, and domination of the competition is incredibly impressive.”
Sophomore Chris Tohir also enjoys following the most famous Clash of Clans players. “People like Jorge Yao are cool to see on the leaderboards,” Chris said. “It makes me feel good that people out there are spending large amounts of time and money on the game.”
What keeps players coming back for more is the mentally stimulating thought that goes into playing the game. “Clash of Clans is a strategic game and you must watch when people attack your base,” Chris said. “You have to come up with new strategies to protect it.”
Truthfully, this game is wildly addictive. And the player community is huge. Super Cell has done a great job to make Clash of Clans fun and exciting and I hope they keep it up!