q4mevs.thestrog

Q4

FPS MADNESS!

Why did I start playing Q 4?  Simply that Q IV was the best FPS out at the time that I built my new computer... but thats another story..

My Quake / CS addiction started a long time ago in an arcade far far away...

The arcade was called VAN'S.  It was a smallish place on River Road in Puyallup, WA.  It was a test center for various game manufacturers.  They obtained what was to be my most favorite ever pinball table "Medieval Madness."  Oh, what a pin that was too.  But how does q4 tie into this?  You see back then Q4 wasn't a gleam in Carmak's eye yet.  Doom2 just phased out of popularity.  Descent was coming out, CS was in beta "point 2" something. 

It was in this dark age that my nack for the FPS is rooted.  I learned about Q II by watching some friends play it.  I was like wow that looks like fun.  Then skins came out.  Vans made it policy to spend your time at work looking for new skins, or creating your own.  O.K. so it wasn't policy, and Van didn't initiate it at all... but thats what we did.  We soon had this HUGE collection of skins, and models for Q II that could have made a hollywood fashion designer jealous.  All your favorite SouthPark Characters?  CHECK.  Transformers?  CHECK.  Milk Carton?   You guessed it, CHECK.  K.I.T.T.  Yup with flasing red lights and all!  Even SNORKS!  MEGAMAN?  CHECK.   

MegaMan?  hmm this looked cool.  so I decided I would try it.  I used my handle ************* (hidden for national security purposes) and jumped on.  I chose the Chrome Camo MEGAMAN skin, and got my a$$ kicked all over the place.  My donkey was sore.  But I kept coming.  I was determined.  I once played with this guy Dean who beat me like 100-4.  Yet I came  on.  Learning, adapting, I had determination that is comonly seen only in movies.

I discovered how to move using a unique keyboard layout.  I had just spent alot of time in highschool learning how to type. Computers would become very important in my future, and so I forced myself to be good .  I could peak at 120 wpm.  So what do I do?  I develop a keyboard layout based on Home Row.  My friends couldn't watch me play.  ASDF BABY! asdf...Soon asdf became my defacto movement keys for every game that I played.  If I couldn't change the keyboard layout, I didn't play the game.  I chose them for the simple reason of having the most amount of keys available at my disposal, and instantly knowing the reach for them.  IT WORKED. 

I was mopping up the floor constantly because my enemys GIBS were all over the place.  I had become ... ELITE well not quite.

This graduated to CS, where I learned that in MANSION as a terrorist,  I could run fast  with the knife, jump through the window to the right of the door and shank 2-3 guys with ease.  Oh how I loved doing that.  Later I became one of those AWP Whores you read about in your local paper. 

I started playing Unreal Tournament.  I discovered capture the flag, and had a hay-day sniping headshots, getting monster kills, and being a magnificant flag carrier.  Skills that translated to LSONE later in WSG, but I digress.

UT2K4 was my next major FPS, and that took me through two good years of addiction.  Oh, I can just see the fun with raptors now.  I may just go home and play it tonight...

Until UT2K7 comes out, I am now in Q4 mode.  I haven't gotten to play any FPS in a long time, and it is nice to be back.  although I must admit, it feels just like I'm playing for the first time.  I did,on my 6th game of Q4 ever, score a flag...

We'll see how I progress.

Copyright © 2006 Paul Carhuff  Click here to go HOME