Long ago -- ancient history -- way back in the year 2000, I was a member of the Untamed Force clan. I was not, back then, as good a pilot as I am now, but nonetheless, you had to be at a certain level to make it into the group at all.
It was a wonderful time for me. UF was filled with awesome pilots, legendary pilots, and this was the first chance I'd had to play a lot of them. It had its own ladder, too, and I'd been playing on it a while.
One day on the forum, I threw down a challenge. I wasn't a GREAT pilot by any means, but I'd been playing with great pilots for a while now, and I didn't think there were any left who could hold me to single digits.
Were there?
Turns out there were. Tobycat was the first to seek me out.
"PREPARE FOR SINGLE DIGITS, DRAK!"
Now, such a thing was not EASY at that point, even for him. He had to stack it a bit, and asked for his home level -- IO NH. But sure enough. 20-6. You can see it on the old UF ladder page: http://cybermueller.net/uf/ladder/Drakona.html
It was a total shock and awe experience for me. I can still close my eyes and see that dog room, exactly where I was flying when it truly hit me that he wasn't kidding. Still a painful memory, to this day. ;)
Fast forward 13 years.
I'm at the DKH LAN in 2013 with Tobycat, and DCL is a brand new ladder. He hasn't played seriously in years. I've been playing nonstop for the past two months. I don't know how good he is, but I'm pretty sure I'm better than I used to be. There's one place I want to play: IO NH.
http://descentchampions.org/view_match.php?id=190
. . . 20-7. Ow. Dang. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Fast forward another year.
I'm at CCDL in 2014, and Tobycat is there for three days. Over the last year, though, I've gotten a LOT better. At this point, even a master like Jedi is concerned that I'll occasionally get a win. I'm pretty sure I have a good shot.
So I want to play TC again, but he's super rusty, and I want it to be good. I wait. Day 1, I don't ask him. He gets better. Day 2, I don't ask him. He gets better. Day 3, I still don't ask him. He gets even better. Scratches out a win against DKH, even.
Finally, he stands up and says, "I'm leaving in a couple hours -- is there anyone I haven't played yet who wants to play me?"
"Yeah," I say, "me."
"Okay, one game -- where do you want to play?"
"IO NH"
"Ohhhhhhh shit . . . !"
Indeed. :)
It was a wonderful time for me. UF was filled with awesome pilots, legendary pilots, and this was the first chance I'd had to play a lot of them. It had its own ladder, too, and I'd been playing on it a while.
One day on the forum, I threw down a challenge. I wasn't a GREAT pilot by any means, but I'd been playing with great pilots for a while now, and I didn't think there were any left who could hold me to single digits.
Were there?
Turns out there were. Tobycat was the first to seek me out.
"PREPARE FOR SINGLE DIGITS, DRAK!"
Now, such a thing was not EASY at that point, even for him. He had to stack it a bit, and asked for his home level -- IO NH. But sure enough. 20-6. You can see it on the old UF ladder page: http://cybermueller.net/uf/ladder/Drakona.html
It was a total shock and awe experience for me. I can still close my eyes and see that dog room, exactly where I was flying when it truly hit me that he wasn't kidding. Still a painful memory, to this day. ;)
Fast forward 13 years.
I'm at the DKH LAN in 2013 with Tobycat, and DCL is a brand new ladder. He hasn't played seriously in years. I've been playing nonstop for the past two months. I don't know how good he is, but I'm pretty sure I'm better than I used to be. There's one place I want to play: IO NH.
http://descentchampions.org/view_match.php?id=190
. . . 20-7. Ow. Dang. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Fast forward another year.
I'm at CCDL in 2014, and Tobycat is there for three days. Over the last year, though, I've gotten a LOT better. At this point, even a master like Jedi is concerned that I'll occasionally get a win. I'm pretty sure I have a good shot.
So I want to play TC again, but he's super rusty, and I want it to be good. I wait. Day 1, I don't ask him. He gets better. Day 2, I don't ask him. He gets better. Day 3, I still don't ask him. He gets even better. Scratches out a win against DKH, even.
Finally, he stands up and says, "I'm leaving in a couple hours -- is there anyone I haven't played yet who wants to play me?"
"Yeah," I say, "me."
"Okay, one game -- where do you want to play?"
"IO NH"
"Ohhhhhhh shit . . . !"
Indeed. :)
- Drakona