Vol.
2, Issue 4
December 1, 1999
Game,
Set, Match!
Six Months in the Life of the OGL
by
Stephanie "Bobbi"
Bergman
n
early May of this year, I was one of the many who eagerly downloaded
the first release of the Quake III Test. I had played QuakeWorld
competitively, and although I kind of hated Quake 2, I
still participated in clan matches. Now Quake III was out...a
game that looked to be exactly what I had been hoping for. I played
a few matches on random servers, but soon found that being on
a T-1 made for extremely unfair competition, and I was winning
matches more often from ping than from skill. As any competitive
gamer knows, its not half as much fun when you dont
fight for your win. The best games, the most exciting matches,
are the hard ones...where you fight for every frag, and jump in
fear when you see your opponent. I set out to find some good matches,
some tough opponents.
I decided
to try the Online Gaming League.
Id met a lot of the people behind the OGL at QuakeCon99,
I knew a lot of other people who played on their ladders and it
seemed like a good place to get some decent games going. I entered
the Quake III Open ladder at 250 and immediately challenged
an opponent higher on the ladder. Call me silly, but I was really
excited! I was going to work my way up the ladder, dammit, and
be the best! (ok, Im not delusional about how good I really
am, but it sounds good) A few days went by, and I got an e-mail
from the OGL...Id gotten a forfeit. Oookie, so I get to
jump up the ladder a few slots. Cool!
I immediately
challenged someone else. This time they replied within a few hours,
and we quickly scheduled a match. I was hoping for a really good
game, honestly, I didnt care who won, I just wanted a good,
fair match. The time for the match came...and went, without the
person I was to play coming online. Another forfeit.
I challenged
someone else. Another forfeit.
I challenged
someone else...and they showed up for the match! I have to say,
this guy, my god. I learned a really good lesson...never play
Q3test2 with a rail monkey. Id spawn...Id die. Spawn...die.
I dont think I ever made it fully across the map with one
life, he was amazing. So, I lost pretty hideously. But I learned
that Id better get the hang of the rail gun.
And then
it was my turn to be the putz...I challenged someone, and forgot
about the match we scheduled. I went to the website and e-mailed
the ladder admin, telling him I forfeit, and I didnt want
to hang up the person I was to play any longer (as you cannot
schedule another match until your current one comes to some kind
of end, be that win/loss/forfeit). The ladder admin replied, saying
thanks, and that nobody had ever done that before. I was kind
of amazed, it only seemed like common sense, I mean, at some point,
youre bound to realize you missed a match. But I guess not.
Challenged
someone else, got a match, showed up this time, and won. Really
nice guy too, but it wasnt a fair match, I won by some gross
margin. Which just isnt fun.
I went
on challenging a few more times, got a few more forfeits, until
I got sick of that. I sat in the 70s for a while on the
ladder, and got my first challenge, that being from Hanif. Now,
Hanif, dammit, knew full well he could beat me, as he did exactly
that at QuakeCon, and he did beat me when we finally played a
match.
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