The Geek Within Us All
== A Brief Summary of My Gaming History ==
Grade 4 and past : Playstation / Gameboy
Grade 5 - 6 : Counter-Strike
1st Year HS : Battle Realms / Counter-Strike
2nd - 3rd Year HS : Ragnarok Online
4th Year HS : Playstation 2 / Counter-Strike
1st Year College : Defense of the Ancients a.k.a. DotA
==================================
As I look back into the swirling mists of my colorful videogaming past, I see a pattern emerging. For those of you who have bad memories of the Ateneo entrance exam and its infamous pattern tests, fear not. This is an easy pattern. (Don't they all say that?)
Anyway.. I have just found out that I really love competing against other people. Or killing, which I think is more appropriate.
Oh sure, one-player RPGs are cool. As a matter of fact, my favorite games are all one-player games. I loved Final Fantasy 7, I loved Metal Gear Solid.. Heck, I loved Pokemon Yellow! And yes, I did complete the Pokedex. And it was one of the proudest moments of my pre-adolescent life. So yeah.. I loved all these cool games of yesteryear.
And along came a spider.. In the form of a videogame called Counter-Strike. Oh Yes. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. Thus began the bloody days of my birth into the chaotic multiplayer arena. I can hardly remember the first few times I started playing CS. But I can bloody hell imagine the tomfoolery going on. Whenever i see CS noobs playing, I always try to refrain from laughing, because I must've looked at least as ridiculous as them. I can still remember dodging gunfire and strafing.. in real life. I was actually moving my body in sync with my virtual self. Such was the all-absorbing power of Counter-Strike.
I also remember sneaking out after studying at my tutor for a quick game of CS. Who cared if I was just a Grade 5 student and it was already one in the morning. I needed a quick fix of CS, come hell or high water. Those were wild times. I can still remember snatches of The Corrs and All the Love in the World playing in those internet cafes. And getting caught by my parents was a regular occurence. So regular in fact, that it didn't bother me that much in the end.
First year high school. We changed schools. There were no internet cafes near the school. Well actually, there was one. But it was heavily fortified by posters announcing that "Minors are not allowed to play during school hours." Or something like that.
We got a new computer. I started playing a strategy game, Battle Realms, sort of a Warcraft II lite. And though I played a few games against the AI, nothing beat the satisfaction of owning my friends in LAN games. And since CS was still a big part of the scene back then, I continued honing my mad skillz in the sniper rifle and Carbine.
The next year, the first Massively-Multiplayer Online RPG in the Philippines was released. At first, I was doubtful of the merits of a game which had me paying for every second I stayed in the game world. However, since Ragnarok was still in beta testing phase, I finally couldn't resist playing. And I was hooked again. I started life out as a merchant, because that was the only class my group of friends didn't have. I was the resident go-to guy for discounts. I had fun.. But life as a trader soon grew stale for me. I wanted to kill people. And so, I started reading around. I soon found out that the merchant's second job, the blacksmith, was a powerful fighter. Eager to start, I also soon found out that my first character had already been broken by my ignorance when I first started playing. And so.. I made a new merchant, then blacksmith, then semi-killing-machine.
People often post replies in Ragnarok message boards saying that everyone had their own reasons why they played RO. For the life of me, I couldn't understand those people who just wanted to hunt monsters and socialize. I came in with only one goal in mind- to fight against other people. And of course, best them. And I think there came a golden age in my Ragnarok life when I did feel that I achieved my goal.
But.. People move on. I ended my Ragnarok life when almost everyone I knew had already left, and partly, when my money ran out. But I don't regret a single cent I paid. For all the shortcomings of Ragnarok Online, I still had a blast playing my first MMORPG. I suspect I shall be playing a lot of other MMORPGs in the future, after I have the cash and the technology needed. Forget chugging along as dial-up speeds, I want speeds in the Mbps range.
Fourth year of high school. I was almost broke. I went back to single-player games, with the occasional fragfest of Counter-Strike. I got hooked on the Grand Theft Auto games, especially because of the freedom I encountered in playing those games. Plus the incredible story and the unforgettable characters.
But after a few exemplary single-player games, I started harking for more multiplayer stuff.
It's now my first year of college. I went back to Counter-Strike during my early weeks in college. CS still doesn't seem stale, after all these years. The quintessential shooter. But then, I discovered my newfound passion. Defense of the Ancients. DotA. And now I find myself once again, a beginner, a novice, a noob. But I am enjoying myself immensely playing this game.
I suspect that it shall be a mere matter of months before I become a pro DotA player, and start owning other people. Until then, my continuing education beckons.
iAmGeek.
Grade 4 and past : Playstation / Gameboy
Grade 5 - 6 : Counter-Strike
1st Year HS : Battle Realms / Counter-Strike
2nd - 3rd Year HS : Ragnarok Online
4th Year HS : Playstation 2 / Counter-Strike
1st Year College : Defense of the Ancients a.k.a. DotA
==================================
As I look back into the swirling mists of my colorful videogaming past, I see a pattern emerging. For those of you who have bad memories of the Ateneo entrance exam and its infamous pattern tests, fear not. This is an easy pattern. (Don't they all say that?)
Anyway.. I have just found out that I really love competing against other people. Or killing, which I think is more appropriate.
Oh sure, one-player RPGs are cool. As a matter of fact, my favorite games are all one-player games. I loved Final Fantasy 7, I loved Metal Gear Solid.. Heck, I loved Pokemon Yellow! And yes, I did complete the Pokedex. And it was one of the proudest moments of my pre-adolescent life. So yeah.. I loved all these cool games of yesteryear.
And along came a spider.. In the form of a videogame called Counter-Strike. Oh Yes. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. Thus began the bloody days of my birth into the chaotic multiplayer arena. I can hardly remember the first few times I started playing CS. But I can bloody hell imagine the tomfoolery going on. Whenever i see CS noobs playing, I always try to refrain from laughing, because I must've looked at least as ridiculous as them. I can still remember dodging gunfire and strafing.. in real life. I was actually moving my body in sync with my virtual self. Such was the all-absorbing power of Counter-Strike.
I also remember sneaking out after studying at my tutor for a quick game of CS. Who cared if I was just a Grade 5 student and it was already one in the morning. I needed a quick fix of CS, come hell or high water. Those were wild times. I can still remember snatches of The Corrs and All the Love in the World playing in those internet cafes. And getting caught by my parents was a regular occurence. So regular in fact, that it didn't bother me that much in the end.
First year high school. We changed schools. There were no internet cafes near the school. Well actually, there was one. But it was heavily fortified by posters announcing that "Minors are not allowed to play during school hours." Or something like that.
We got a new computer. I started playing a strategy game, Battle Realms, sort of a Warcraft II lite. And though I played a few games against the AI, nothing beat the satisfaction of owning my friends in LAN games. And since CS was still a big part of the scene back then, I continued honing my mad skillz in the sniper rifle and Carbine.
The next year, the first Massively-Multiplayer Online RPG in the Philippines was released. At first, I was doubtful of the merits of a game which had me paying for every second I stayed in the game world. However, since Ragnarok was still in beta testing phase, I finally couldn't resist playing. And I was hooked again. I started life out as a merchant, because that was the only class my group of friends didn't have. I was the resident go-to guy for discounts. I had fun.. But life as a trader soon grew stale for me. I wanted to kill people. And so, I started reading around. I soon found out that the merchant's second job, the blacksmith, was a powerful fighter. Eager to start, I also soon found out that my first character had already been broken by my ignorance when I first started playing. And so.. I made a new merchant, then blacksmith, then semi-killing-machine.
People often post replies in Ragnarok message boards saying that everyone had their own reasons why they played RO. For the life of me, I couldn't understand those people who just wanted to hunt monsters and socialize. I came in with only one goal in mind- to fight against other people. And of course, best them. And I think there came a golden age in my Ragnarok life when I did feel that I achieved my goal.
But.. People move on. I ended my Ragnarok life when almost everyone I knew had already left, and partly, when my money ran out. But I don't regret a single cent I paid. For all the shortcomings of Ragnarok Online, I still had a blast playing my first MMORPG. I suspect I shall be playing a lot of other MMORPGs in the future, after I have the cash and the technology needed. Forget chugging along as dial-up speeds, I want speeds in the Mbps range.
Fourth year of high school. I was almost broke. I went back to single-player games, with the occasional fragfest of Counter-Strike. I got hooked on the Grand Theft Auto games, especially because of the freedom I encountered in playing those games. Plus the incredible story and the unforgettable characters.
But after a few exemplary single-player games, I started harking for more multiplayer stuff.
It's now my first year of college. I went back to Counter-Strike during my early weeks in college. CS still doesn't seem stale, after all these years. The quintessential shooter. But then, I discovered my newfound passion. Defense of the Ancients. DotA. And now I find myself once again, a beginner, a novice, a noob. But I am enjoying myself immensely playing this game.
I suspect that it shall be a mere matter of months before I become a pro DotA player, and start owning other people. Until then, my continuing education beckons.
iAmGeek.
posted by Unknown at 6:27 PM
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