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I realised something yesterday as I checked my profile..
Joined TL.net Friday, 19th of September 2003
It seems I am a lurker after all.
Feeling a bit nostalgic... I started playing Starcraft and getting involved in the community well before finding out about Teamliquid, but it all seems so surreal. To think I have spent well over 5 maybe 6 years around this game, have I got anything out of it? Was it worth ever buying this game? Did I miss out on anything?
My grades suffered slightly in the last few years of high school, but I mostly blame my own laziness and lack of interest. Hmm what was I doing when I first joined Teamliquid, graduating high school I think, yeah later realising I hate what I had decided to study in University and leaving.
So what have I got out of this game, countless friends and hours of fun, hell.. years of fun. It was around the time that I had decided I hated what I was doing at college, I was offered a position as a Starcraft referee in the 2005 World Cyber Games in Singapore. It was probably around Nov 2004 I got the offer, so I left school and by Jan got a crappy office job as a data entry clerk, typing skills ftw. The plan was really to just work for a year get some money, have some fun, go on this trip then go back to school and study something I enjoy.
Two years later, I have moved up in the same company, I am like an artery in the company now, our branch anyway, I got to go to Singapore, meet a lot of my online friends for the first time, following year I went to Monza Italy for WCG2006, and next week I fly out to Seattle once again for WCG.
I have no regrets in ever dropping out of college, I'm quite confident in a year I could move up to a technical position in the company, get a company car and hit the road. I have plenty of money to enjoy life, I get to travel every year, which is so awesome, imagine someone picking a new location for you to travel to every year, you pay for the flight, get a free weeks accommodation to help run an awesome event, which I don't even consider work, it can get stressful, but in comparison to my day job, it is nothing, you get to meet a ton of awesome people and then you can enjoy the country for as long as you want. The beauty of it is that you will always be going somewhere with people you know, and the holiday will always be random, no decision making involved.
Thinking back on the last 5-6 years of my life, I wouldn't change a thing.
 
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Grats Energies.
I'm really glad you decided to post this, because most posts about this topic are usually negative and are made famous simply because posters with status make them. [ See Rekrul's article about his experience as a progamer ] I hope people who read this will realize that not all things pertaining to pursuing a career in the game industry will end in vain. I'm glad you have no regrets!
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Happy Tl.net Aniversary Energies!
Seems like you made the most of your life, and having no regrets about it is just really nice. Good Luck from now on 
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I turn 21 later this year mate, my life has only just started, I'm just glad it has been such a good start.
Thanks guys.
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that's cool! i'll join you in 3 months time ^^
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Thank you for what I find a really adult post about the topic. As has been mentioned above, the usual approach to the topic by posters is very negative and given great credibility due to the reknown of the posters - Midian, Rekrul.
I myself am extremely tired of their melodramatic, immature and thoughtless posting on something they highly subjectively experienced in the manner they did, blaming a computer game for the whole experience, denying virtually all agency. It is not Starcraft's fault that they are now disillusioned with the game because they did not manage to make big money out of it. I cannot see how they can truly regret everything about their Starcraft experience as they so continually claim. One learns from every experience, it is the only way to grow.
Whether people play Starcraft or not is completely up to them, and as someone who purely enjoys playing the game (not attempting to become a pro-gamer), the game has brought me so much, while taking very little. I would not have had it any other way. Starcraft is simply a beautiful game.
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Thank you for the comments, although I understand the point you guys are trying to make, I wouldn't personally compare my experiences to that of for example Rekrul, he sacrificed a lot more than I did, I dropped out of university because I didn't enjoy it, I guess the chance to be part of WCG could have been the final push for me to realise I shouldn't be doing something in my life if it brings me no joy. But thinking back if the opportunity had not arose, I would more than likely still be in school studying something completely different.
But back to the important issue, the game we love. Perhaps not so much the game but the community and events that revolve around this game has definitely had a big impact on the path of my life, and for that I am grateful. To be honest just based on my experience with WCG and also more recently taking a more active role at work, organising and delegating, my ideal job I would be an event organiser/coordinator. And if in 2, 3, 5 years time, that is what I am doing, I would not be able to attribute that to anything else but buying this game.
I fly out next Sunday to help run and event and a game that I love, and I wouldn't give up the opportunity for anything.
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And the 19th of September is my freaking birthday too!
NIce read man! Glad you don't regret your decision.
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EPT
