I’ve been thinking about this lately. Below are some of my thoughts. This is by no means a be all, end all list.

lead·er
-noun
1. the one who goes in first

What do you think of when you hear the word leader? Someone who conducts an orchestra? A mountain guide, perhaps?

When I hear the word leader, my mind instantly sees the scene from We Were Soldiers where Mel Gibson’s character tells his men he’s the first one to go into combat and the last one to leave (click here to watch that scene). And that’s exactly what happens.

I take several things away from those words and that scene.

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I actually wrote this article for a now-defunct video games blog eons ago (eons being 2 years ago) and figured I’d repost it here since said video games blog is gone.

I know. My nerd is showing.

This article will strive to give those gamers new to Tyria and the Guild Wars gaming universe a skeleton guide on how to most effectively start their game. I’ve started, deleted, and restarted again so many times I feel I have enough experience (probably too much!) to be able to recommend a decent course of action for Guild Wars newbies. Read on for the breakdown…

* Pick a class
* Adventuring and Exploring
* Quests vs. Missions
* Character Interaction
* Skills and Attributes
* Farming and Keys
* Collectors
* Inventory Management
* Inventory vs. Storage
* Dye
* Hotkeys and Slang Terms

But, before we get started, let me tell you about THE most important thing you’ll need to know before heading out in Guild Wars. FIND A FRIEND! Even better, find a couple friends. Or even five; the more the merrier. Guild Wars was made with multiplayer gaming in mind, so don’t hesitate to hook up with other players when doing quests, missions, farming, or just plain adventuring.

Secondly, DO NOT enter the Ascalon Academy until you are AT LEAST level seven. Many things about the game change once you enter the Academy, and I’ve found if I enter the Academy before level seven, my post-Academy experience is soured somewhat.

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Once every three months or so, eXchange dismisses early and we go out into the community to serve. We do things that directly affect people because we think that’s what Jesus would do if he were here as flesh and blood today.

I tagged along with a group led by my wife. The plan was to show up at a gas station and offer to clean the public restrooms. It’s typical for the person manning the cash register to have cleaning duties as well, so instead of having to deal with testy clients all day AND clean a nasty bathroom, we would manage the greater of those two evils.

We showed up at the 500 Express on 13th and Ohio. I went in and asked if we could clean the public restrooms. To say the lady manning the cash register was taken aback is an understatement.

“Why do you do this?” she asked. I struck up a conversation with her while Wendy and her group started cleaning. I briefly ran down what our Crash teams are all about. Turns out she and her sister are looking for a church so here’s to hoping we’ll see her in eXchange soon.

The other lady on duty asked if we’d come to her house to clean (she was kidding) but that turned into an offer for all of us to ride four-wheelers on her 40 acres of land. It’s funny where cleaning public restrooms can lead.

Those who participate in these Crash Sundays can tell you it benefits them as much as those they affect. It’s a real, tangible way to show the love of Jesus. It’s in these moments that He truly can’t be ignored.

And, for however brief a time, we were his hands and feet.

Check out my set of images from last night on Flickr by clicking here.

Okay, this makes me giddy as a little kid. Check this poster out and tell me The Dark Knight isn’t gonna rock your socks off!

via Gothamist