A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Exchange the techniques and skills needed to walk the shadows. Post your guides and how-tos here.
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Psychlonic
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A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Psychlonic » Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:40 am

New and not sure what the fuck is going on around here? Not surprising, you're involved with the remnants of an online scene that has fragmented and remained on critical life support for many years. It has seen several forum revisions after a devastating crash ages ago where we lost many resources, stories, and more. Old operators have moved on and many, including myself, have deleted many of their more exciting operations for security reasons. A lot of operatives develop correspondence outside of the forum and there are operations which never get written down at all that members may know about and reference, leaving you unsure what they're talking about.

This mini guide is not intended to be a knowledge resource in and of itself so much as get you up to speed on the history of night ops, what it meant to us old users and how to best use what's left around here for the future that you may decide to create for it.

THE COMMUNITY: IT'S BEGINNING, EVOLUTION, TRIALS, AND EVENTUAL DECLINE

Starting from the beginning, the good ol' user 'infrared' brought the band together on an old fringe forum called &TOTSE - The Temple of the Screaming Electron. It was a website from the Internet 1.0 days and things were different. Communities like this centered around forums and were a place for us outcast types to meet like minded people. Between slower internet and lack of good infrastructure in video websites at the time, everything was just text and maybe some pictures. Stories were based on an honor system. You could pick up liars easily enough after you'd been on operations and just knew what worked and what didn't.

You can learn more about the old days here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=126
The links are broken, but we've got them archived right here: https://nightops.net/wiki/doku.php?id=history

After The Way of the Shadow was out, things seemed to change. We outgrew the single post format on &T and decided to start a new forum elsewhere. It wasn't so much that my guide was that great I think because when I look back at it, it's pretty horrible now. But it helped the scene in what it was already doing - forming it's own identity. We started looking at our hobby as more than just a bunch of dumb kids sneaking around at night but a discipline that could be applied for various ends. Some of us were happy with the thrills of adventure while others wanted the rush of a successful heist where we left with riches.

This latter philosophy was taboo at the time as infrared had laid down the stipulation that night ops were all about stealth only and not stealing. The purpose was solely going unnoticed, so for a long time theft was simply edited out of many operation stories.

Eventually, the term "black op" was somewhat jokingly termed for any night op that went down the path of further crime, whatever it may be. That's why even today you see a subsection here for "Bad Ideas". They are not considered a pure night op and just as infrared would have shamed any user who did so, black ops similarly carry a similar mark of shame. Most all of my operations prior to 2011 or so were black ops, a fact that's sort of been lost to history here. Arguments over it were a common thing. That's just how it was in the community.

And the community was big! The threads on &T continued running simultaneously alongside here until the very end of the site. Meanwhile, what you are on is the second iteration of the second forum since branching off of &TOTSE. When the first forum went up, it was common to have conversations happening so rapidly that when you posted, several other people had already posted while you were writing. It was pretty busy! When that went down, our one and only Secant here grabbed the banner and waived it for everyone to rally around. In today's world, I gotta say he's the biggest unsung hero in this entire saga. A great administrator who we're all lucky to have. Unfortunately, disaster struck at the end of 2007 and a lot of content was lost. When Secant got us back online, everything you see now is from that time period. However, we were still very active in that time frame.

Some of the real magic is what you don't see on the forum. Many of us engaged in private conversations and formed inner circles of trust we'd communicate in elsewhere. It's very similar to how Discord channels are approaching this today alongside the main site chat. That's how endeavors like NOPCON would later come to fruition. Many stories remained private - more on this later.

The approach of 2010 was a rough time for fringe communities and night ops wasn't spared. &T had finally folded after the admin was tired of staving off legal issues, and the forums that harbored its scattered members failed to catch the same spark of magic. Many of the more hardcore fringe sites were also getting shut down and a collective sense of infringement was upon everyone. On top of members simply getting older and moving on.

Since then, the community had been in a very steady decline. The main problem was that there was nowhere to draw new members from. The idea of operations on YouTube back then was ridiculous and troll armies were still a thing. That meant attempts to draw from the Chans or Reddit were considered suicidal. You can see all of the calls for recruiting that went nowhere in "Suggestions" for more on this.

And that brings us to today. I imagine COVID-19 has gotten many imaginations going and channels on YouTube are helping draw new attention to the community. Unfortunately you're seeing a shell of its former self and that's why I'm writing this. I feel members can easily get the wrong idea of what night ops are supposed to be about because you're reading a lot of content that came from our operating primes when we were active at night but coming here to push boundaries with ideas to enrich our operations.


GETTING INTO NIGHT OPS: WHEN AM I READY?

You're ready right now!

Night ops was never about training and training until you feel like you're ready for the mission. It was never about waiting for the right gear to come in through the mail. It was about going out and doing what you can and learning to do better and better as your career progresses. None of us back then cared if we were ready, we were curious NOW. We wanted to go. You know when you're going to bite off more than you can chew and you learn to avoid that dynamically in the night.

My very first night ops were performed with a pair of ratty woodland trousers, a black long sleeve shirt, tan cotton gloves (yes, cotton!), a brown ski mask and some old shitty work boots. That's what I had, so that's what I used. For some operations I wore a black pistol belt with basic gear on it - a shitty AA flashlight, off-brand multi-tool, Wal-Mart brand machete in rural areas, and other cheap tools. I actually "liberated" a lot of op gear as I encountered it early on. Not the Psychlonic you read about these days, but we have to start somewhere. I wasn't always chatting about thermal cloaks and lasers, I grew up poor as fuck and had to climb from the bottom.

Again, I feel like this forum might give you the wrong idea. An old operative can only talk about the basics for so long before it bores them. It remains important, but there's no more reason to write about it over and over. What problems remain? Those are the discussions you see frequently on here. You are reading the works of several generations of operatives who've come and gone before you. Drones and alarm disabling isn't 101 where you begin. You begin with the darkest clothes you own and a little common sense. You'll learn to plan. You'll learn for yourself what you need to get and train on. Trying to do that stuff ahead of time is kind of a waste. Now, if you just enjoy the subject that's fine but if you want to be an operative BE AN OPERATIVE. It's not about forum validation, it's about you.

Yes, you see tons of talk on here of gear, techniques, and philosophy but it's par the course when you're actually going out at night doing things. That's the fun of it - you go out, come back with that feeling of success because you didn't get caught and next time you want to do even better! That's the driving heart of night ops, the ties that bound us old operatives regardless of where we were. The forum was seen as a hub, not the heart, of night ops back then. The spirit of night ops was in all of us and when decentralized we always found ways to come together. We were a strong, close knit community. That's why stories traditionally remain in word format. We are from an era of imagination and reading, we loved reading each others stories and visualizing it for ourselves. It wasn't about living vicariously through a video but being inspired to go out and experience something similar first hand! The entirety of the site in the old days was centered around the concept of you going out and operating better and better, a pre-mission prep site.

So go make some memories. Get that feeling! That rush!

THAT IS NIGHT OPS!

Not these old stories, not showing off, not making everyone think you're an expert! It's the ultimate empowering freedom, a ghost who can go anywhere and do anything without repercussion.
Night ops is the art itself. The stealth and the glory of stealth. The thrill of stealth. Learn that feeling and that's what gets you hooked, just as it did us once upon a time.

This forum exists as a resource for when you come back to base and think back on your operation. Problem? This is a hell of a resource and some of us know way more than what's been written. Writing stuff is fun. I obviously enjoy sharing snippets of things I've picked up, but it's to further the operations.


WHERE DOES NIGHT OPS GO FROM HERE?

As has been written, this is a husk of what it used to be. Xanatos has been the steadfast torch bearer on this forum while others come and go. Because the philosophy of the old crowd and posting norms of the time were radically different it may be a little inaccessible to today's world. Which is a real shame, because that thrill of stealth still exists as strongly as it ever has. The potential is right there. It probably can't continue in its existing format much longer though, and overhauling will be necessary to restore it to its former glory. How you go about that is in your hands, but remember - if you cannot spark that imagination and get people hooked on that thrill it will fail. The best old stories were written colorfully for that reason and it's a huge shame most of you won't read the majority of them, because they were really special. I have yet to see any of these new crop dudes coming even close in their videos. So you new guys have the potential to really take this shit to the next level. If you want it.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

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Vengeance
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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Vengeance » Sun Mar 28, 2021 6:39 am

Beautifully said.
Let us hope we can create more operatives all over the globe.

(Congrats on 1000 posts)
It's the nature of this beast to feed upon the will to numb it, this monster brought the seed of life, well now i have become it.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Sleven » Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:44 am

Wow, appreciate the historic back story. Was an interesting read. It's like a link to the past that I never existed in.

I used to be apart of a SA:MP (San Andreas Multiplayer) forum / community a decade ago. That had a familiar rise and demise to your story.
[ Exit The Faketrix ]

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Xanatos » Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:34 pm

I feel I entered the scene at the start of its decline; a young cowboy riding into Tombstone as the sun sets on the Old West, where industry was quickly replacing horseback. But as Psychlonic knows, if a black powder six-shooter worked back then, it'll certainly work now. No matter how many cameras & streetlights they put up, there will always be places to hide. And I'm gonna find them.
We are all books containing thousands of pages and within each lies an irreparable truth.
What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Psychlonic » Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:53 pm

Blowing through like a tumbleweed again, I see.

*tips stetson*

M'ninja.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Secant » Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:55 am

Those are some nice warm memories of days gone by...

As a gathering place, this forum is an evolutionary dead-end. So why is it still alive? That's a good question, isn't it?

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Shattered » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:08 am

Secant wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:55 am
Those are some nice warm memories of days gone by...

As a gathering place, this forum is an evolutionary dead-end. So why is it still alive? That's a good question, isn't it?
Nostalgia, most likely.

Thanks for the recap, Psychlonic.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Sicarius » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:21 am

Secant wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:55 am
Those are some nice warm memories of days gone by...

As a gathering place, this forum is an evolutionary dead-end. So why is it still alive? That's a good question, isn't it?
I don't think this made sense to me, or maybe I read it wrong, but the forum is very much alive; In fact, since the time I joined the forum is at its peak height. I cannot speak for before, but there seemed to be a surge of posts in 2019-2021 compared to 2015-18. I think the original culture of it is dead. I do not just operate solely to explore for curiosity, I operate as a means of training, developing my mind, and because I just feel called to it. I am not very interested in stealing or vandalizing, but I am perfectly fine breaking a window covered by insurance in an escape, or planting espionage devices or software for a realistic learning experience.
"If one cannot be both, it is much better to be feared than loved" - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Psychlonic » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:16 pm

It's got a little bit of activity now, but what's he's saying is that forums in the format used here don't draw active users like they use to, not just this one. It's not impossible and there are others that still stand and even represent the most knowledgeable sources of their respective subjects but these days it takes a network drawing from other places. YouTube is an example. A subreddit would be smart. I can't imagine anyone found &T looking for stealth content, but they found it there and got interested.

My advice to you guys if you're looking to expand the community would be to branch out and cross post a bit. 4chan, Reddit, YouTube of course, shit like that. I wouldn't lay it on thick with the philosophy right away or anything, just share stories. From there? Either reference this place or start another community all together with the new crowd that shows up. Content alone isn't enough anymore in obscurity, you can articulate a masterpiece but it may go unnoticed or just get glazed over by today's short attention spans. There's a fantastic operation in Bad Ideas from a guy I trained and it's gotten less than 200 views in over 3 years. [Edit: And now that I look at it, his High Castle operation in Experiences isn't even 100 as I type this, probably why I could never get him interested in the site] Still, increasing stories in Experiences will go farther on this site in rekindling interest than anything else. Make all of the old members who drop by and lurk for nostalgia remember what it was like and you might even get some of them to post again, sharing their own knowledge and experience.

Also, the "darker" the content, the less new users will be interested. I agree with what you're saying but it's not just about old culture and new culture. It's about human tendencies. It's kind of a win win anyway, you won't be causing yourself PERSEC issues and you'll get a higher number of people interested. After there's a stable user base, that's the time to bring in other aspects if that's what you want.

Or just keep on keeping on, but we've all seen what happens. Repeatedly. Nothing.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Sicarius » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:27 pm

Advice taken, thank you. No plans to keep keeping on as well, I am busily working. I just need time and some mental changes, and all is well lol...
"If one cannot be both, it is much better to be feared than loved" - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Abraxas » Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:01 am

Psychlonic wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:16 pm
There's a fantastic operation in Bad Ideas from a guy I trained and it's gotten less than 200 views in over 3 years. [Edit: And now that I look at it, his High Castle operation in Experiences isn't even 100 as I type this, probably why I could never get him interested in the site]
Perhaps. I do not care for any attention, but the low activity suggests that constructive feedback will be minimal and I can simply speak with you elsewhere. Plus from what I have been reading here today, open dialog would also likely be lacking in regards to concepts, gear and other aspects of the night.

As one of our old friends would have said about the situation, it is like feeding caviar to cattle. I see two, perhaps three active members with notable experience. My apologies.
Stay in the shadows.

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Re: A Reference Guide for the Aspiring Night Ops Member

Post by Sicarius » Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:31 am

Abraxas wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:01 am
Psychlonic wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:16 pm
There's a fantastic operation in Bad Ideas from a guy I trained and it's gotten less than 200 views in over 3 years. [Edit: And now that I look at it, his High Castle operation in Experiences isn't even 100 as I type this, probably why I could never get him interested in the site]
Perhaps. I do not care for any attention, but the low activity suggests that constructive feedback will be minimal and I can simply speak with you elsewhere. Plus from what I have been reading here today, open dialog would also likely be lacking in regards to concepts, gear and other aspects of the night.

As one of our old friends would have said about the situation, it is like feeding caviar to cattle. I see two, perhaps three active members with notable experience. My apologies.
I am not positive if I have read your stories or not, but I will make sure to do so. I have read a lot of old stories, I simply did not want to necro a story thread, especially if it was very old.
"If one cannot be both, it is much better to be feared than loved" - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

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