The role of q2 in your lives.

[soso]

That's exactly how it was starting for me, except I was a couple of years older, and the progression was faster.
I'm not suggesting you should quit or anything, just try not to let it take over.
If it already interferes with your life at this point, there's probably only one way it's gonna go from there - downhill.

[myamagical]

First of all, I'm a girl, which is a rarity in the Quake 2 community. I am also the typical nerd who is always quiet and always does her work. I am the type that would rather do schoolwork, sit at an isolated table and read (during study hall), or space out - it depends on the day... OVER chatting amongst my classmates. I do TRY to be social but it's just not what I do. like, sometimes I say something when I pick up a conversation off to my side or something that isn't directed to me. I would rather just have my little group of friends, you know? ONLY us, seriously, would eat lunch and then after we're all done eating, take out a romance book (all three of us) and just sit there and read for the rest of the period. We're just cool like that.

Anyway, I started playing Quake 2 the summer before Freshmen year of high school. Currectly, I'm 17 and a Junior in high school. Therefore, I've devoted nearly 3 years to Quake 2. Mostly I've played FFA, CTF regular & rails with hook and last fall I've really gotten into playing team death match on the tourney servers.

In all honesty, since I have had Quake 2 in my life ever since the start of high school, I cannot say that Quake 2 has affected my GPA or schoolwork in any way. My grades are not at all horrible. Actually, I'm doing pretty well in school. I'm currently ranked first in my class. (mind you, my school is rather small) I'm not involved with sports or clubs at all, but I am part of Student Council and Student Assistance Team. I also applied for next year's position on Student Council Executive Board and got the position! Recently I applied and got into National Honor Society (and even included some leadership qualities under my activities sheet for online gaming, score!) I was also able to keep my grades high for Chinese school (9th and 10th grade was my last two years of it) as well as participating in band activities and going to piano lessons. (I don't do either of them now. I cut them all off last year I think.)

Since I have the best friends I could ever ask for, I can say that my friends are used to me talking about Quake 2 all the time and have gotten used to it by now. They don't see me as weird, just someone that needs to get out a little bit more. Actually, one time I told them I hadn't played Quake 2 in nearly a week and they were all worried about me! haha. Family-wise, my parents get upset with me when they see me playing Quake 2 on the weekend and then slaving away at my homework on Sunday nights. However, there were times when I have become so frustrated with a homework problem that even my dad suggests I 'play my game (read: Quake 2)' to relax a bit and not think about that particular problem for awhile. I don't have siblings so my cousins get the job of being a pain on my side. My cousins continuously tease me for playing such an old game, not that I care though. They're all gaming nerds too and I wouldn't have gotten into Quake 2 if it wasn't for my cousin's help in installing it for me.

I have made lifelong friends on Quake 2 and other online sites. However, I've also met backstabbers and I guess it just goes to show that the online world is just as brutal as the offline world (read: real life). You never know whom to trust.

It's not like I play Quake 2 everyday for the last 3 years, that's not the case at all. In fact, I remember I used to go weeks without playing it and just doing other things online (I've always been an internet geek) or do my schoolwork & watch movies. Recently it feels more like a daily routine though because I've had more time to procrastinate my homework assignments play and since school is winding down I become less motivated to do my work. I still eventually do it, just not with a lot of well... energy or patience. Plus I always manage to pull of an 'A' even if I do the assignment 1 or 2 days before it's due, I'd say I've got that kind of talent.

So yea, as long as Quake 2 doesn't take complete control over my life, I will continue playing it. It is good for relaxation, stress relief, and just pure humor. Heck, it's just plain out fun and I'll never be able to let anyone take that away from me.

 

[X'tyfe]

quake2 was the big pushing force that got me hooked on gaming
it was the first game i ever played against people online

i had played games before, but always by myself. and that of course gets boring fast i had no idea that people played
together like they do now at that time untill i found heat.net which really got it off the ground for me

i was probably 12-13 when i started, but i havent always played quake2 within that time
hence why i suck as much as i do lol

[Om3ga]

i mostly waste my study hall time bullshitting

[soso]

Thanks, Mya.
After reading your post, I don't regret wasting all that time as much anymore.
Keep up the good work.

[Jay Dolan]

I saw this post this morning and have been looking forward to replying all day..

I can certainly relate to you, soso.  I'm nearly 26 years old now.  I've been an id-FPS player since Wolfenstein3D.  I can honestly attribute my educational and carreer paths (Computer Science, Software Engineer) to these games.  I've made online friends over the years who I consider pretty important to me, and I've learned a tremendous amount from hacking on these games over the past decade.

But there are certainly drawbacks.  I maintain my own rather unique Quake2 engine, I've completed 6 deathmatch levels (attempted several dozen), produced a replacement sound pak, organized a comprehensive retexture effort, created fraglog and stats packages, hacked together dozens of scripts and quick programs for bsp/.map parsing and correction, and from 1999-2002 I ran a 6-server gaming network with a heavily-trafficed website (QMass.net).  Each of these things have eaten away more of my personal time than I could count.  Nevermind when I used to actually play the game 30 hours a week..

These days, I catch myself neglecting my girlfriend in order to hack on Quetoo or work on a deathmatch level.  I'm less productive at work than I could be because I get wrapped up on a Quake-related forum or IRC channel.  In college I would skip out on a night of binge drinking with my friends to hone my deathmatch skills..

And then there's the attitude.  Like you, Quake2 does sometimes bring out the worst traits in my personality that I otherwise manage to keep concealed.  Arrogance, aggressiveness, being petty.. it's embarassing to think about, really.

Quetoo is rather mature, and the retexture effort is just about ready for release.  I'll probably take a break soon for a few months now that warmer weather is here.  In the end.. I hope that I'll continue to come back to these games from time to time as I get older.. but less and less.

[{TNP}Dukie]

I switched from the Amiga to the PC in late 97 because of the internet
Started messing with Q2 immediately, exclusively on Mplayer.

I forayed into Q3 for a bit, but I've stuck with Q2.

I have nothing bad to say about Q2, I love it.

The internet on the other hand has changed my life and I don't really think for the better.

I was 35 when I got internet access, but I still have a hard time remembering what I did with all that free time then that I spend on the internet now.

While I do enjoy the web and probably won't ever change, looking back it seems I have wasted a lot of the last 9 years of my life.

I do have regrets

[cyberneticimplant]

It is an escape from reality, substitute for friends, and keeps me from doing work. Not just Q2, but all video games. If I never got a computer I think my life would be drastically different. Maybe I would have a job, friends, and wouldn't be on academic probation.

[soso]

Ah, it worms my heart to see I'm not alone there.
We should all get together and go suicide bomb ID for ruining our lives.

[Disco Karate]

No matter what games I buy or download I ALWAYS come back to Quake 2.

I'm 23, been playing Quake 2 since 2001.  I definitely have wasted WAY too much time on this damn game.

This community reminds me of Cheers - everybody knows your name.  Think about it - how many people on your average NA Quake 2 server have you heard of before?  Exactly.  When I say ToxicMonkey was annoying the shit out of me, you all know what I'm talking about.  When I say Reflex or Daelmun pounded the crap out of me in 1v1, same again.  If I say I have no clue how Ax2Grind gets first in so many jump maps - again you know what I mean.  This community is very tight-knit.  Hell, I even love the ToxicMonkeys, the Purris, the Crusty's - because they add into the equation that makes Quake 2 such a wonderful game and a wonderful community.

Tastyspleen in many ways reminds me of a Quake 2 museum.  It's sort of like browsing through a museum of old Quake 2 mods and players, preserved for people to look at and play.  Let's hope this particular museum stays open for a long time to come!

Okay anyways - if you take all the wasted hours of all our time playing Quake 2 we probably could have built the Great Wall of F'ing China.

[Krlll Mule]

#1 -  Quake2 is a fun game to play!
#2 -  Quake2 is cheap compared to  $120.00 an hour head shrinkers!
#3 -  Quake2 is like crack!

I'm 45 and I was 1st introduced to multiplayer gaming around 1993. We waited 'til the office cleared and played 4 way dOOm matches, filling the hallways with curses and laughter. I didn't know it at the time, but we were having a bichin' LAN. I've played Q2 online since '98, mostly on ctf servers because I love the team dynamics. I don't regret ALL the time I spent playing - just the times I should have been studying or sleeping.  Nowdays I am lucky to have time to play because life is full of stuff more important. But if you see me on a server, I can assure you I'm enjoying the game and the experience of playing with some crazy folks I met on a tasty organ website.

 

[milhouse]

First of all, I'm a girl, which is a rarity in the Quake 2 community. I am also the typical nerd who is always quiet and always does her work. I am the type that would rather do schoolwork, sit at an isolated table and read (during study hall), or space out - it depends on the day... OVER chatting amongst my classmates. I do TRY to be social but it's just not what I do. like, sometimes I say something when I pick up a conversation off to my side or something that isn't directed to me. I would rather just have my little group of friends, you know? ONLY us, seriously, would eat lunch and then after we're all done eating, take out a romance book (all three of us) and just sit there and read for the rest of the period. We're just cool like that.

Anyway, I started playing Quake 2 the summer before Freshmen year of high school. Currectly, I'm 17 and a Junior in high school. Therefore, I've devoted nearly 3 years to Quake 2. Mostly I've played FFA, CTF regular & rails with hook and last fall I've really gotten into playing team death match on the tourney servers.

In all honesty, since I have had Quake 2 in my life ever since the start of high school, I cannot say that Quake 2 has affected my GPA or schoolwork in any way. My grades are not at all horrible. Actually, I'm doing pretty well in school. I'm currently ranked first in my class. (mind you, my school is rather small) I'm not involved with sports or clubs at all, but I am part of Student Council and Student Assistance Team. I also applied for next year's position on Student Council Executive Board and got the position! Recently I applied and got into National Honor Society (and even included some leadership qualities under my activities sheet for online gaming, score!) I was also able to keep my grades high for Chinese school (9th and 10th grade was my last two years of it) as well as participating in band activities and going to piano lessons. (I don't do either of them now. I cut them all off last year I think.)

Since I have the best friends I could ever ask for, I can say that my friends are used to me talking about Quake 2 all the time and have gotten used to it by now. They don't see me as weird, just someone that needs to get out a little bit more. Actually, one time I told them I hadn't played Quake 2 in nearly a week and they were all worried about me! haha. Family-wise, my parents get upset with me when they see me playing Quake 2 on the weekend and then slaving away at my homework on Sunday nights. However, there were times when I have become so frustrated with a homework problem that even my dad suggests I 'play my game (read: Quake 2)' to relax a bit and not think about that particular problem for awhile. I don't have siblings so my cousins get the job of being a pain on my side. My cousins continuously tease me for playing such an old game, not that I care though. They're all gaming nerds too and I wouldn't have gotten into Quake 2 if it wasn't for my cousin's help in installing it for me.

I have made lifelong friends on Quake 2 and other online sites. However, I've also met backstabbers and I guess it just goes to show that the online world is just as brutal as the offline world (read: real life). You never know whom to trust.

It's not like I play Quake 2 everyday for the last 3 years, that's not the case at all. In fact, I remember I used to go weeks without playing it and just doing other things online (I've always been an internet geek) or do my schoolwork & watch movies. Recently it feels more like a daily routine though because I've had more time to procrastinate my homework assignments play and since school is winding down I become less motivated to do my work. I still eventually do it, just not with a lot of well... energy or patience. Plus I always manage to pull of an 'A' even if I do the assignment 1 or 2 days before it's due, I'd say I've got that kind of talent.

So yea, as long as Quake 2 doesn't take complete control over my life, I will continue playing it. It is good for relaxation, stress relief, and just pure humor. Heck, it's just plain out fun and I'll never be able to let anyone take that away from me.

 

Marry Me

[adrenal1ne]

  go outside 

[soso]

Adren, go away, this thread is for people who forgot the meaning of the word "outside".

[Om3ga]

No matter what games I buy or download I ALWAYS come back to Quake 2.

I'm 23, been playing Quake 2 since 2001.