EPTNow onto the more meaty part of the blog. As I started writing this blog I didn't think the intro was going to be as long as it was, but as it turns out, I think this deserves its own separate post
Intro
My name is Nick, I'm 22, and am finishing up my last year of ungrad studies as a CS major. I've found a home away from home here at TL, and hopefully if I can keep up with these blogs I'll be able to help someone out along the way. I never played BW competitively, although I did own the game but mostly played UMS. Part of that did include fastest possible, so I was exposed to regular gameplay as far as attacking and producing. I purchased SC2 just as a sequel to a game that gave me hundreds of hours of gameplay.
Little did I realize that SC2 would plummet you into the competitive aspect rather easily as opposed to the equal simplicity of finding a UMS in BW. Early on the SC2 battle.net boards was where I discovered TL, and where most of the noobs probably came from in the first place (I had never knew of TL's existence still then). Needless to say, getting addicted to the content here is way too easy, and I found myself wanting to play SC2 just for the competitive aspect based on all the great stuff I found here.
I laddered in season 1, was placed in bronze, and knew I had my work cut out for me. This was about the time I discovered Day9, and quickly wanted to "be a better gamer" (too easy). The more dailies I watched, streams I frequented, tournaments I followed, the more I felt myself becoming better in SC2 just from a knowledge. As I played, the knowledge I gained was put to use here and there, allowing me to rise to silver! I would not stay in silver for long though, as something to seemed click (being from a mostly FPS/RPG background, it would be fair to say I didn't understand basic RTS fundamentals, and I think being able to learn what I needed to do and attempting once I understood allowed my skill to rise very quickly) and I was headed for gold.
It was at this point I looked into tournaments more, attempting to play in a competitive setting outside the ladder. This was certainly a change, and while I never progressed far, was valuable experience. I played in many of National ESL's novice cups. I saw a news post about becoming an admin, and I inquired. I was contacted by the head of the SC2 division, which was none other then a buddy of mine I had met through WoW. This made the decision to help out easy, and I began my career as an admin.
Eventually my buddy left, leaving very few admins, and I decided to try and head the division up. Where does this play into my playing SC2? It was at this point I was on winter break, and while I wanted to play, I felt my attention was needed helping with the organization. I didn't play for a couple months because of this, and by the time this semester started I wasn't even gaming anymore.
So I did what any kid on the internet does when they want to hide, I ran away. I didn't want to deal with any of what I was doing anymore, I just wanted to game. I had given someone my phone number, didn't know if he still had it, but I never got a phone call when I vanished, so I left it alone. If anyone from National ESL reads this, sorry guys. I was a coward, I ran away, I never said anything. But I wanted to write that to get it out in the open, put the stamp down. I like SC2, don't know what could happen if I keep playing, but I don't want that coming back to me so I'm acknowledging it now.
After all this, I finally decided to go back to SC2, started playing again, trying to use up my 1000 bonus pool (which I never did) before the season ended just to see if I could break into Platinum. I never did, and that's where I am today.
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