SHD Magazine #5

SHD

By the community For the community #communitylove

Volume 1 Issue 5

MAN. MYTH. AGENT… An interview with SplinterShield about his cosplay journey

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY… An exclusive excerpt of a Survival short-story written by SplinterShield himself!

COMMENDATIONS

TIPS AND TRICKS how to last in Survival!

Strategies by the Survival Saturday experts

@Splintrshield

A how-to for some of the first Commendations agents can unlock in The Division 2

TOO CLOSE TO HOME… For the entirety of 2020, we have found ourselves in very strange times, Agents. We all game for various reasons: fun, competition, socialization, and many others. Regardless of our personal motivations, one thing often in common is that it can be a means to escape reality for a little bit. Just like diving into a good book or watching a favorite movie, or any other hobby that allows one to focus on something enjoyable, games are a way for us to detach from the real world for a short while to avoid being overwhelmed.

So what do we do when our very reality begins to eerily resemble the very world of the game we go to?

The COVID-19 pandemic taking the world right now is affecting a lot of us differently. For us introverts, not too much has changed. For the extroverts, it must feel like hell on earth to not be allowed to be social as before. For everyone in between, it is a whirlwind of confusion. Add to all of that those who refuse to do their part and things have progressed at a snail’s pace toward improvement (really, it’s baffling how selfish societies have become).

There were a lot of warning signs ahead of things reaching the level of severity that they have that went ignored by persons in charge. For the most part, the public was aware of what was unfolding before their eyes and were taking steps necessary to be ready for the worst without causing panic. When those public officials then stated clearly what the situation was, the mass hysteria began. However, those that saw things for what they were did not partake.

It is comforting to know that many of the fan community around The Division were those who did not give in to panic. Yes, there are some that did, but for the most part, our community handled the situation, with all of its frightening parallels to the game, in stride. We did not panic. We remained calm. We communicated valuable information (and more importantly, accurate thanks to community members like WildMax10!) to help each other and everyone else. We became sources of positivity for one another and those around us. From where I stand… we have all earned our phoenix wings.

While we all continue to do our part to ensure our personal safety and the safety of our families and loved ones, and in doing so help prolong the safety of our various societies, we at SHDvMagazine wanted to take a little break from enhancing the world of the game that brought us all together and give us all time to breathe before releasing this issue.

Please, everyone, continue to be safe, be smart, and be there when this is all over. We’re all in this together, and that’s exactly how we’re going to make it through. #CommunityLove

Keelan562

Image source: Keelan562 (circa 2014) photographer Frank Garbutt

MISSION BRIEF SHD Magazine (volume 1, issue 5) November, 2020 Editorial (by Keelan562)

01

The Man, The Myth, The Maker

04

Survival Strategies

10

Beyond Survival excerpt

12

Commendation

17

Closing Statements

19

Interested in contributing to future issues? Message any of the editorial team via social media to find out how!

image source: wccftech.com

the MAN the MYTH the MAKER

Before the Hunter there was the Agent

I have had the pleasure of knowing The Hunter for many years, before he was known for his streams, before Hunter Theory was even close to existing, and before the ISAC was called a “brick” (a term he was actually first to use!). I knew him when he was MythMaker, and I was there when this agent was first shedding his training wheels. I’ve known him for years, from before the first game was released, and yet it wasn’t until 2018 that he and I finally met in person, and he was every bit as genuine, intelligent, and passionate as I have known him to be. It is with great honor that I present to you the words of the man himself in this issues cosplayer interview. ~Keelan562

Could you please tell us a little something about yourself?

No, I am as mysterious as I am lethal. XD But, if you must know - I’m a lifelong geek and contrarian. I’ve always hated doing what everyone else is doing, just because that’s what everyone is doing. I was a film major and business minor in college and doing taxes is my day job but I’m working on some things right now in order to change that. It’s been a point of pride for me to tell my dad,

who was NOT supportive of my gaming as I grew up, that I’ve literally travelled all over the place cosplaying, geeking out, and gaming. I’m a husband to a gamer girl and our little 11 yr old boy is autistic but ALSO a gamer.

How did you get started in the world of cosplay?

I had done a rough Jedi costume back in college, but I hadn’t done anything since until after I played Splinter Cell: Conviction. I was trying to make a Sam Fisher costume but had to give up as I didn’t have enough knowledge or the tools to do what I wanted to do, and instead did a Mr. Vader cosplay where I wore a Darth Vader mask with my black suit and some temporary hand tattoos. The reactions were AMAZING and I resolved to do LOTS more of that. I studied medieval swordfighting in college and had made a newer and much better Jedi costume before I got involved with The Division, and it was fun to flourish my lightsaber since I knew real sword moves.

Before I got into The Division, I had been repressing a lot of my creative impulses, trying to make a certain level of money for my family. This culminated in 2014 when I had bought into a partnership in a tax practice, which turned into the worst year of my life. After that year, I realized that life is short and I made some big changes and started working on my Division agent cosplay. But before we knew everything about how agents would work and be outfitted in The Division, I decided I wanted to make a lighter version of an agent that I could cosplay in the Texas heat. Keelan Grace and I began working very seriously on a huge mega-thread on TheRPF.com about how to make Division agent cosplays. There was a certain line at the beginning of the 2013 trailer for The Division, the very first one, where the agents pass some civilians and he says something like "Oh, she's gone red, but I'm out of packs. We'll have to come back later."

So I decided to make these little 'packs,' both as a way to be a more immersive cosplay and better represent myself and the game (because not everyone knew about The Division at this point).

I had a speaker on my backpack playing Division music and when people would notice me or compliment me, I would reach into a pouch and give them a tiny ziplock bag that held a card that said "Pandemic Pills: Take Saving what remains…one convention one pill every two hours until attendee at a time! symptoms subside. Stay indoors and rest. Be safe, smart, & survive. You are not alone. Together, we'll put the pieces back together. -STRATEGIC HOMELAND DIVISION." And the back of the card mentioned the Division game, coming soon, and held a dozen little orange Tic Tacs. It took a little time and cost a little extra to make these, but it was 100% worth it to get those reactions from my fellow geeks at conventions.

What drew you to The Division?

The realism in the setting, the immersion, the conspiracy theories and lore. Something about how its not super sci-fi or magical fantasy just really grabs me. Plus, it could have something to do with how I was a boy scout in my teen years and being an agent would theoretically put all that knowledge to use.

What has been the most challenging part of creating a cosplay for you?

More and more, the biggest challenge is just finding the time.

When I was first working on the Hunter cosplay I wasn’t streaming, so it was easier to find the time. Even though I could technically stream as I work on cosplay, the deskspace isn’t quite large enough for cosplay work so I have to choose between streaming or making something.

Are there any cosplays that you are eager to create sometime in the future?

I’m eager to get a big 3D printer to use for more cosplay projects. If I had a few months of free time I would probably make a Titanfall 2 Pilot cosplay and maybe a bunch of cosplays so that I can grab friends and acquaintances and do a group cosplay more easily, and YES, I’m talking about SHD Agents, becuz Hunter’s gotta hunt.

What projects are you currently working on that we can look forward to seeing?

I’ve been slowly working on a Cyberpunk Trauma Team cosplay (another one I wish I had time and resources to make four costumes to make it a group cosplay), and I’ve been planning some more upgrades to the Hunter cosplay - a big smoke machine contained in the backpack!

Visual proof that Keelan562 and SplinterShield are agents cut from the same cloth since the beginning! (photos of the first Agent cosplays by both)

What words of advice would you give to beginning cosplayers?

It is so tempting to look at what others have done and think that you can’t make anything as good as that so… why even try? Please just START and be passionate about whatever you’re making and you will learn and get better as you go. You will also be amazed at what kind of help you might get as people see what you’re doing and want to contribute. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t an instant hit or can’t immediately start make a living from this - most have to work very hard and keep at this for years before anything big happens. So do it because you love it and set a good pace where it’s still fun so you don’t burnout on your way towards fame!

And this is far from the end of SplinterShield’s cosplay journey with The Division…but that, Agents, is a file for another mission…

Survival Strategies If you have been an Agent since the days we fought to take back New York, you know exactly what Saturdays have come to represent. You know the joy, heartbreaks, excitement and terrifying nature that is “Survival.”

However, as Agents, we need to be ready for anything so that we can conquer such challenges. The greatest tool any Agent has is their knowledge. When it comes to knowledge about Survival…who better to go to than the leading elite fireteam members that make Survival Saturdays what they are? @NeurOnix: "From a PVE standpoint : craft 2nd level mask when you can, contaminated areas in the LZ contain good loot that many players don't take the time for!" @SnipesLikeASir: "I like hitting the subways first, particularly AM Track, where you can easily and quickly gather the essentials you need to get ready to go to DZ. You won’t get sweet purple drops, but you will get everything build both skills, two decent guns and decent gear to give you a baseline to farm more of the map en route to DZ. They are also by far the easiest landmarks in Survival. After that I usually b-line to a helicopter site to see if anyone raided it to see if anyone is on besides me (if I didn’t already determine it)." @Fshep: "Pay attention to your build as you equip loot and adjust your play style accordingly (e.g., being more conservative with facetanking when your build is low stamina). Most of my actual top tips are mostly for pvp but that one goes for pvp and pve." @Splintrshield: "Make sure that you thoroughly search EVERY spawn point so that wherever you begin Survival, you can quickly find a gun or weapon parts to craft a gun within the first few minutes."

Thank you so much for these golden words of advice, Agents! We’re sure there are going to be a lot more Agents out there able to brave the blizzard and stand their ground against those Hunters with this knowledge.

To our readers: Are there any other tips and tricks for Survival that you would share? Let us know!

an excerpt from

THE DIVISION: BEYOND SURVIVAL written by Matt “SplinterShield” Shields

The Strategic Homeland Division, or just “The Division,” was this agency created by an executive order, and they were meant to be the last line of defense in the face of catastrophic disasters. They had special training to deal with unthinkable threats and carte blanche authority to do whatever it takes to re-establish law and order after everyone else has failed. The first wave of agents had been activated when the Decontamination Zone was being expanded, but there just weren’t enough of them. A second wave was activated a little after New Years; the number of agents is still classified, but it was a lot more than the first wave. Within weeks they had established the Farley Post Office as the Base of Operations in Manhattan, found the necessary people to staff it, and taken out the leaders of all the biggest factions trying to take over New York. People were organized and there were supplies being distributed. Hope was rekindled.

But there was a dark, hidden truth undermining all of this progress. The first wave SHD agents that hadn’t been killed, had gone rogue, allying with the hostile factions and serving themselves instead of the public. One of them, Aaron Keener, stole the data and equipment needed to recreate the virus and seemed to have every intention of spreading more death and chaos.

The race was on to find a cure to the Green Poison.

What follows is the story of one SHD agent who went beyond the call of duty.

CHAPTER ONE “Klein, I need you back at the BOO in 30 minutes. Report to Lau,” came a gruff voice over the ISAC comms. It was Rhodes, the head of the Tech Wing at the Base Of Operations (BOO), not one of the dispatchers.

Klein’s brow pinched. “Copy that, en route,” he replied quickly. Something big is brewing, he guessed. He started walking back, picking his way through the abandoned cars and rubble in the streets, amongst the still proud brick & plaster buildings. Klein stopped to give some civilians he found along the way some food and chat for a minute. They gave him some good intel on a highvalue target that had become a big problem in Hell’s Kitchen over the last couple weeks. This was noted in his ISAC computer, uploaded to the network, and either he or some other agent in the vicinity would get the assignment shortly. That’s how it worked.

Soon enough he could see the familiar shape of the Post Office building. He had to go around to the East side, because they kept the other entrances closed for security. But he didn’t mind; seeing all the steps and columns of the east facade always inspired him. It was the people they were fighting for, not buildings of stone and steel, he told himself, but this building made you feel proud to be a part of it.

The Farley Post Office Building had been built in 1912, before the first World War, and bears the inscription "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The Farley Post Office was home to "Operation Santa", made famous in the classic film Miracle on 34th Street. The beaux-arts style of the building was originally designed to match the style of Pennsylvania Station, which used to face the post office from across the street of 8th Avenue. But as freeways and cars replaced train usage, the magnificent train station diminished until the above-ground levels were demolished and replaced in the 1960’s by Madison Square Garden.

As he came up through the decontamination tunnel, he immediately saw that Faye Lau was not at her desk. She had gotten too close to a bomb in Brooklyn just after being activated, and had almost been killed before she even made it to Manhattan. But despite getting blown halfway to hell, she bandaged up and took the place of the former SHD commander who had been killed in the same explosion, and had been directing Division efforts for the last month at a desk right up front, where she could see all the agents coming and going.

Klein made a right turn and poked his head around the corner and saw Benitez standing behind his desk, talking to some JTFers with a clipboard in hand.

Benitez glanced over and held up a finger but continued his briefing.

Klein held up a hand and pointed towards Lau’s desk, then opened his hand – Where is she?

Benitez shook his head slightly towards Klein in between sentences. I don’t know.

Klein went into the central corridor, under the stairs. With a tap on his watch, a holographic map sprung up around him. Only he could see it, as it was being displayed on special contact lenses he wore that were connected to his Intelligent Systems Analytic Computer (ISAC, for short), standard equipment for every Division agent. Lau was down in the Terminal. It was a subway station under the post office, a hub for Division agents, where they could calibrate their weapons and gear, receive High Value Target assignments, and head out for assignments together. He took the stairs down to the Terminal, passing the Security Wing on the right, and the Medical Wing to the left; the entire facility had been converted for use as the BOO for the time being.

As he came into the large room of the Terminal, he saw Lau in a small room off to the right side that connected to a freight elevator. She was talking to seven agents inside, and he could see her through the window. Three agents loitered in the vestibule outside the room and he joined them. Apparently, they had all gotten similar messages to come quickly.

The briefing inside the small room ended and the seven agents zipped on hazmat suits, filed into the freight elevator and went up. Faye hobbled over, opened the door and motioned them in. She was looking better, but her leg still needed more time to heal. As the group of seven inside was suiting up, more agents had come in to wait with Klein and the others, so they were now seven as well.

As they filed in and found places to stand or sit, Faye spoke up. “Thanks for coming so quickly. We have a lead on something big. We needed to get several teams ready to go ASAP. First, I hate to say this but there are lots of eyes and ears in the BOO that might talk to the wrong people, so you’re going to be radio silent to any other agents until this op is over. Look around, this is your team.” The agents looked at each other with a few head nods and thumbs up at

each other, but they didn’t say much; mostly just wanting Faye to get on with it.

“So here it is,” Faye explained, putting her chin down and looking intently at the group.

“We have a lead on some experimental anti-virals left behind in the Dark Zone. As far as we can tell, this is as far as the doctors and scientists got before they had to evacuate. This could be a serious help to Kandel in figuring out a cure for the pandemic. Maybe even the silver bullet to killing this thing for good. And before you ask - she’s optimistic, but my guess is she’s still months away without this.”

It was like she dropped a bomb of silence on the room. Everyone knew what this could mean, and the weight of what was at stake quietly settled over them.

“Where are we going?” an agent asked. Klein knew him as McPherson.

Lau leaned back. “We picked all of you based on two criteria: how much time you’ve been in the DZ and how close you were to the BOO. The coordinates of the anti-virals are being sent to your ISACs. Once you get into the DZ, ISAC will vector you in.”

“But… you can’t just tell us?” McPherson pressed.

“We’re not taking any chances,” Lau gruffed. “There are several possible locations for the anti-virals. Four teams of seven, four helicopters. First one to get a case of antivirals, wins.”

For the full Part 1 of this heart-racing story, go to: bit.ly/2HRIEFA And don’t forget Part 2 (still in development as of this publishing) at: bit.ly/3jMyumo

COMMENDATION Don’t worry, new Agents! We haven’t forgotten about you! It is SHD Magazine’s great pleasure to bring you information to help rack up that Commendation score and track down those Exotics, courtesy of the great infographics done by the one and only Mr.Commendation! We start off with a Commendation that every Agent can get early on in the game.

Keep an eye out for the Commendation for early level Agents in the next issue! As Mr.Commendation makes more of these infographics, we’ll be sure to share them.

Be sure to follow Mr.Commendation for more awesome infographics and Commendation videos!

Twitter: @CommendationMr

CLOSING STATEMENTS Thank you once again for taking the time to read this newest issue of our fan-produced publication.

Our team’s original goal was the attempt to produce issues on a regular schedule, be that once a month or bi-monthly; however, the pandemic of COVID-19 knocked our plans far off course, and with the core members being spread around the world and having our own personal issues to attend to in our daily lives, coordination and having the spare time to focus on side projects such as this became more difficult.

As such, we will do our best to release issues as we can rather than tying ourselves to any sort of hard dealines.

We had content cut from this issue due to the reasons already mentioned that should make it into either the next issue or one further in the future.

In the meantime, I’ll be looking at backtracking; I created some mock covers for issues 1-3 before we had our first actual issue with Issue #4, so I will be going back and adding content to those covers.

As stated on the table of contents page, if there are any fans out there who would like to add something to any future issues, be it sharing projects, being interviewed, or even writing an article, please feel free to contact myself or either of the other editorial team members and we’ll get things arranged.

Thank you once more, and please continue to be safe.

KEELAN562

Source: Ubisoft Massive