1.ET is a game that's very near and dear to me.


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3. I got my start with RTCW on December 3rd, 2001. Up until that point, my only foray into the gaming world had been through a curious game called "Monty on the Run". I had also briefly played Wolfenstein 3D at a friend's house. And then one day I was surfing the net on my 64K modem, and I came across an article which said that a new Wolfenstein game was coming out... it was going to feature mad scientists professors, Übersoldats, catacombs, Saxon Knights, the resurrection of a guy called Heinrich... and all for FREE! "This is too good not to download", I said to myself... "searching for the hidden rooms in Wolfenstein 3D sure was fun!"


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5. I downloaded, I played, I was hooked.


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7. It took me a long time to complete the singleplayer... not taking note I could now use the mouse in tandem with the keyboard to make my maneuvers and all. Operation Resurrection felt like an eternal purgatory - a cross between Halloween and the pagan Irish festival of Samhain.


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9. From there I ventured into the multiplayer and the legendary =CompKal= FragCenter. I'll never forget the first time I landed smack in the middle of the mayhem at mp_beach and tried to get out of the Allied bunker. "What the heck did I just get myself into?" Explosions were going off, and soldiers were laying on the ground nearly torn from head to limb. It was chaos! A number of individuals were brought together on that beach, learned to function cohesively, and eventually we felt comfortable in chaos. We grew into a family, dependent on each other to complete our objectives. In doing so, we formed an immediate bond of friendship that last to this day. I fell in love with the game. And there was something else... fragging enabled me to gradually overcome my thirst for carnage, blood-spilling, and generally being the hoodlum that I was in real life. Through killing and slicing up players I became more calm and less likely to land in jail. My observation was that RTCW was steering me down the right path. I gained insight into my personal strengths and weaknesses in terms of being a warmonger. Conquering the gamer inside my aggressiveness gave me a great high - like a shot of adrenaline. I thought, "man, I love this!"


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11. The chaos on that beach was indeed bliss. Every night the allotted 40 slots would fill up and the Center would be rockin'. We didn't worry about cheaters, memberships, or why there were 7 panzers in one team... our unbridled enthusiasm negated all that and shone like a beacon in a game that had us mesmerized. RTCW had arrived.


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13. It wasn't long before new maps started to become available. I remember fondly the many tactical battles on Market Garden. Teams split into several fireteams, each responsible for their area of the map. Counter-offensives and synchronized covert operations being implemented. The dogs in the pound on the way to the water factory on the genius Vemork map. The River - a map so creative and balanced that it inspired the teamwork to an all time high... and who can ever forget Schwalbe! Beautiful Schwalbe, with its fantastic music and diversity in gameplay.


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15. This time throughout 2002 is what I refer to as "the honeymoon period". There was only positivity and love. Before CoD, before Battlefield... RTCW was the shit! Our new marriage to this game brought about a special ritual for the Center: an annual summer meeting in Germany where we got together to be social and have fun! I made the pilgrimage, and so did a host of others who I only knew by nickname. How wonderful it was to meet them in person! People from all ages and backgrounds coming together... sharing stories and laughs around the campfire. Into the wee hours of the morning.


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17. I then got drafted to do my military service, and had to prepare myself for a 14 month period without playing my beloved game. As was often the case, draftees from the same area would serve together. I was fortunate enough to get drafted together with one of my neighbors - who also happened to be into RTCW. In -15 degrees weather we were now stumbling around in the winter forest in ridiculous looking camouflage outfits, getting drilled on what to do in case of an impending invasion. It felt surreal. Our weapons didn't even have real ammunition! Then one day we were sat in the canteen together, growling into our oatmeal, "how the heck are we going to get through 14 months of this without getting to kill anyone?" It was then we heard the magic word from the officers table behind us: "Wolfenstein". Our eyes lit up. We slowly turned our heads in disbelief, and there (I kid you not) sat one of the corporals in charge of our room discussing RTCW! The rest of those 14 months flew by after that.


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19. When I got back home ET had launched, and I was as eager as a puppy to download it and find out what all this talk about "Fueldump" was about. Excitement loomed. That map was running 24/7. We just couldn't get enough of it! Yet still there were those among our friends who swore to RTCW and wouldn't make the upgrade. In a sense I could understand where they were coming from - why abandon something that was so successful and take a chance on something new? Still, it broke our hearts to see the camps split up. Those I knew who stayed with RTCW didn't make the transition to ET until 7-8 years later.


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21. For the first 4-5 years of ET, the excitement surrounding the game was at a fever pitch. We had fully populated servers throughout Scandinavia, and all across Europe. We were almost spoiled in a way... every new map and every new mod we had the option to play. Friday was the big gaming night. If you had only one or two nights each week available for ET, you made sure to get in Friday and kick off the weekend in a good mood. There was beer and schnapps... and sometimes LAN parties where we played until we passed out. I'd give anything to have that time back.


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23. Then came the great recession in 2007. Hard times put a strain on keeping servers funded. ET had also gone as far as it could go. Players were now starting to leave in pursuit of more blockbuster type of games. It wasn't long before servers started to empty, and then falling off the face of the earth in one abrupt swoop. Great cultured and inspiring civilizations cast aside - like a lost city of Atlantis for gamers. All we had left were the memories and the friendships they had created for us.


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25. The next couple of years are challenging and leave me scratching my head. "Why am I still playing this old game?" At times I am peppered with messages via e-mail and instant messengers, asking me to come play a new release. Once your heart and soul is synched to ET, like the lure of the Siren Song, you become impervious to these kind of outside influences. ET isn't just a seductive mistress... it's a way of life and a way of thinking. When I see a tall building overlooking a pedestrian area, I feel the urge to climb up there and pull out my 9mm Glock.


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27. After all these years of playing ET it's easy to feel jaded and even a bit bored. I've seen every shot from every angle. Every scenario played out in my head for every conceivable situation. What rejuvenates me is when new players come along who just started playing ET. Their thirst and enthusiasm for this game rubs off on me, and for a moment I feel like I'm back in 2002. Positivity brings out a better mindset all around.


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29.In closing, I'd like to mention that some of the most fun and interesting people I know I've met through ET. I run a cabin resort here in Norway, which has afforded me to send out quite a few invitations to my fellow gamers. They've also invited me to their neck of the woods. I've had the chance to visit and form friendships with players from Germany, England, Italy, and the Czech Republic. This hospitality is of course extended to the wonderful people I meet in this community... as we carry the torch of ET well into the next decade!