Adroits in Enschede - a simple mans view
I am pretty sure Memento Mori will write a literary masterpiece about the event but still I want to give you a little look into my weekend.
It is Sunday , 11:33 and I am in the train back home to Germany already. I am really sad that i had to leave this early since it was a fantastic weekend and I am pretty sure there will be amazing games and an even more amazing aftershow party but lets start right from the beginning.
Friday , 13:00 cest, after a 5 hour trainride I finally arrive at Enschede. The weather is just perfect, the sun is shining, its warm but no hot, not a single cloud up there. Enschede is a mediocre sized city with a rural and peacefull look. There are plenty of parks and small green areas embedded to the streets and houses. The Wzzrd gaming cafe is part of some giant amusement complex filled with fast food restaurants,arcades, a cineplex, a go-cart track etc. The moment I turn around the corner to Wzzrds i already see familiar faces standing outside smoking. It`s cooke, evil and the rest of 102. After some chit chat and shake-hands i finally enter the building. 1 step in and i already receive an excited "mousestaaaaaar!", it is nicerdicer, who made all his way from Ukraine. Eventhough we never met before the welcome gestures are really warmhearted and we do come along really good right from the beginning. After greeting the gang, full of friends and familiar faces. I am having a chat about the monitors with Purri as i hear another: "You are mousestar right?". As I turn around I see a young smiling chap." Hi I am Baksteen" I was really surprised since i expected an old, musclepacked dude. Baksteen aswell turns out to be an awsome fellow and we have a nice chat aswell. After ordering my first beer at the integrated bar (!) I eventually met CZM. I`ve never been much of a fanboy but CZM was the hero of my childhood and i can`t deny I was a bit nervous when we shook hands. Anyway CZM is as cool down as a man can be and I relaxed immidiately since he kept making jokes or goofin around which made me laugh a lot.
So after some interesting discussion about the theoretical perfect interface for quake and esport in general some games are watched at the chillout area. It`s just 2 comfortable couches with a large screen and people get together to watch some games. As i sat there watching Pavel, talking with ani, I get this magical feeling. It does not feel like a LAN, and does not feel like a tournament or business. It is a family meeting and it`s this feeling that keeps me continuing visiting LANs. Also somewhere in between that, Cypher is introducing me to Av3k. Av3k is a good soul and you can literally see that. I would say he is one of those guys you just have to like when you look at them. With CZM drumming on his cheeks trying to immitate the duke nukem melody and Av3k giving Memento work out tips the circle is full of great laughter and intense discussions. One does feel welcome and home. There is not much contact with the Enemy Territory players but as I watched some games it looks really amazing. It is actually really fast and takes serious skills. As the tournament continues sean and nicerdicer keep running around fixing stuff. I almost felt sorry for nicerdicer since he was fully busy the whole time, he didnt even have enough time to eat. "Oh for fucks sake" he sighs as he just wants to take a bite but he as asked to fix something already again. " I got to go, it`s schnitzel by the way". It made me really laugh, I think he thought Schnitzel is new for me aswell.
Anyway as i kept drinking i gained a kind of a decent drunk level and made it in front of the camera talking to people in chat etc. I liked how there was no hate in chat this time, everyone seemed really excited and happy. Later the night we just partyed all together at the LAN. There was no need to go to the city since u had your bar right at the LAN. I would love to tell you some insider beer storys about the guys but unfortunately my plans to get zoot wasted turned against myself and i barely can remember anything. The last thing i remember was having a chat with CZM.
CUT next scene: me waking up with a brick in the face. I have been told i should apologize since i went in front of the stream and spillt Jägermeister all over zoots mousepad. Fuck it! I cant remember it so it didnt happen.
DAY 2
AS mentioned before i really had a massive hangover. So back at the LAN I just overcame my pains with 3 breakfast beers (to the very surprise of the ET players and the barkeeper). I heard a lot of "NO WAY!s" or "DUDE do you know what time it is?!" I presume Dutch dont drink in the morning on LAN. Well Bavarians do! So the second day is even better gamewise and the atmosphere is just solid gold. There is a lot of love in the air . Dem0n eventually arrives too and a lot of socialising going on. Ins is dwarfing around claiming he is matr0x and giving autographs as Cypher, zoot is casting his ass off, this could go on forever.
Inbetween arguing about the brilliance of promode with ani the topic comes to vo0. "Well you can ask him yourself he is standing right over there." "WOOT? thinks mouse* and introduces himself kindly to mr. Kaasjäger. Again vo0 turns out to be just as nice as CZM and Baksteen. I dont know if it`s just the general LAN mood or if there is a tendency for quakers to be nice folks (i doubt the latter).As the tournament goes ahead I am fully drunk and having an amazing time chilling outside with some friends. Later the night a group of known players is offering me a joint. I didnt do drugs in 6-8 years but i was hammered and in the mood for it, so I took 2 lifts. Well I asume either I am a Sissi or this stuff was some ultra hardcore weed but i completely turned stonedmode. The other guys bursted laughing at me since I coudnt help myself at all. I had a massive laugh flash and only was able to talk shit. I cant tell how long I remained incapable of doing anything but my intoxication got harder and harder so i rushed to the toilet in order to be ready to puke. But it turned better soon and after 20 minutes, so i guess, the staff realized there is some one stuck in the toilet. As they kept knocking on the door and asking who I was, i got my ass up and whispered a half laughing "AIAM Mastar hihihihihi". I dont know if I was just looking shitfaced or if it was my lack of speaking skills, but when i stepped out of the toilet the bartender asks me "What are you doing?!" I answered amused "I dont know , I am just stoned as fuck?" And he broke out laughing at me.
So I was back on track, swearing about the 2 lifts that almost took me out. This night ended just like the first one. I have no idea when or how i got back to my hotel , but I didnt end up on stream this time at least. I remember saying good bye to a lot of people. Hugs and Handshakes are traded. So it`s sunday i check out at the hotel and give the cafe a last visit. There is nobody there yet except Spart1e warming up and sean doing administration. I thank Sean and go over to Spart1e. After a warm hug Spart1e asks me "next time?" and I answer "next time!"
![shaftwhores only by [EXE]dann](/files/avatars/2007/51852-shaftwhore.gif "shaftwhores only by [EXE]dann"){kind=small}
mouse* asking for demos again.
