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Tropicana Magazine Jul-Aug 2017 #114: Bold & Beautiful

Tropicana Magazine July - August 2017 [Gaming The System - Ricky Tjandra]

Tropicana Magazine July - August 2017
[Gaming The System - Ricky Tjandra]

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RICKY TJANDRA<br />

“The tenets of managing a business are similar to that<br />

of gaming,” explains Ricky, who graduated in Business<br />

Management from RMIT University in Melbourne. “In<br />

some subconscious manner, I have been honing skills in key<br />

management areas and have been able to apply them to my<br />

business.”<br />

It’s the ‘I-don’t-want-to-lose’ attitude that drives gamers<br />

like Ricky to succeed, and in a competitive and fast-moving<br />

market, it’s imperative to deploy the right skill set and make<br />

your mark.<br />

“Negotiation skills are crucial,” he shares. “In gaming, there<br />

is usually a trading system where you can trade items, sell or<br />

even buy them. You learn about the value of the items from<br />

the point of supply and demand, as well as how desperate the<br />

other player is. If all goes your way, you can sell at a higher<br />

price than what’s out there in the market. You can even<br />

negotiate peace terms with other guilds or clans during a war.<br />

It’s a good platform to understand the diversity of players<br />

from different races, geographical locations, ages and genders.<br />

Likewise, on the business platform, managing a diverse group<br />

of employees or dealing with a diverse set of clientele, calls for<br />

different negotiation skills.”<br />

“Communications is key when managing a guild or<br />

kingdom during wars,” Ricky explains. “Having to coordinate<br />

between 100 members is difficult. It would involve<br />

strategising different groups, in smaller numbers to target<br />

certain locations and to achieve the results you want. Giving<br />

correct instructions and relaying it effectively and efficiently<br />

will help the kingdom or guild achieve success. There are<br />

also real time reports and updates on the status of the guild.<br />

This is another trait similar to the corporate world, where<br />

proper communications amongst the team, and strategies<br />

which are communicated well can garner success. Market<br />

reports and competitor analysis would also help in strategy<br />

planning, as well as indicating market position to your<br />

clients.”<br />

Another tenet is time management. The process of<br />

planning and having conscious control over how much<br />

time one spends on events or work activities may increase<br />

the level of effectiveness and productivity. “There are a lot<br />

of events inside a game,” divulges Ricky. “These keep you<br />

occupied, thus you would have to prioritise which of these<br />

events would benefit you the most and you would in turn,<br />

focus on that.”<br />

“You would not be able to play a game around the clock as<br />

you would need to factor in rest, work and hobbies amongst<br />

“The tenets of managing<br />

a business are similar to<br />

that of gaming. In some<br />

subconscious manner,<br />

I have been honing skills<br />

in key management areas<br />

and have been able to apply<br />

them to my business.”<br />

other things. You would need to manage your personal time<br />

efficiently in order to join the event. There are also troops<br />

with different skill levels to train. You would need to manage<br />

your time in a manner whereby you maximise efficiency and<br />

utilise the time available. It’s no different from the corporate<br />

world where you would need to plan your time to manage<br />

deadlines with what you can currently work on.”<br />

“Problems do not discriminate. They hit all of us at some<br />

point. Even in games, there is a fair amount of problemsolving<br />

such as disputes between members, resource<br />

management and strategies. To top that off, games usually<br />

have bugs, especially those in its beta stage. I used to be a<br />

beta tester before the official launch of a game. I would test<br />

the games out and report on bugs or issues I encounter and<br />

give recommendations on how to fix those issues, or even<br />

improve the game itself. This is similar to how we would<br />

manage problem-solving in the work place.”<br />

Like any organisation, management styles differ, and in<br />

the virtual world, it is no different. “Different people manage<br />

their guilds or wars differently. They come from different<br />

cultures. They approach and strategise by weighing the pros<br />

and cons of each situation with the person assigned to the<br />

task.”<br />

From the realms of guilds and wars to the corporate world,<br />

Ricky knows too well that all work and no play, a dull boy<br />

makes, and reaping the diverse knowledge and experience<br />

the former brings, makes gaming all the more attractive.<br />

TM | <strong>Jul</strong>y/AUGUST <strong>2017</strong><br />

22

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