Welcome to the first post in this year of our lord, Two Thousand and Seven. We all say thankya. If you hadn’t noticed, ‘Tied the Leader’ spins down a notch during the swapping out of the calendar.
Over the “Holiday Season”, the TTL Gunslingers were scattered to the four corners of solstice madness. Each gamer faced the shock of their own tragic separation from The Box. Even now, the last stragglers from the Great Yuletide Migration of Ought-6 are staggering back onto college campuses; home for the resumption of their beloved virtual hostilities.
At press time, Dweezle [our Award Nominated digital anthropologist], is in search of an Internet Connection that will enable him to rifle off a salvo of 22Q Interviews and launch some Clan Profiles to insure the really big collateral damage.
Our aforementioned Minister of Public Relations is not the only local gamer with glory hanging in the balance of a Halo Nation Popularity Contest. Nay, fair gamer. The Gunslingers received a tip of the hat from their peers as well. Second Foundation has recognized them in a category of Active Competitive Clans [non-professional].
Call them clans, call them teams, call them communities – call them what you will. The vivid and still-thriving population of gamers playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live is teaming with cadres of digital sportsmen. The State of The Nation is strong. The more we look, the more we find online citadels of mayhem that are solid refuges for the type of gamers you hope are on your team – or on the other side of the imagined conflict.
Second Foundation picked some strong horses for their race. We’ve bought our ticket, and we are on the rail. The nominee list holds lot’s of familiar faces, all of them behind that shiny Mjolnir faceplate. We have fought ‘em all, in fact.
What’s even better? We still claim them as allies. Bringing a good game is the only way to win in our house.
For those that really need to know the score, we keep an active record on the Gunslinger site. Our most recent match-up with Real Custom Games has been given the pixelated treatment [thanks for Warthog CTF, by the way; it was rad]. The hits don’t stop there. We crossed Swords with Laban. We forged a Golden Alliance. We took on an entire Clan filled with Bobs. To avoid all work and no play, we hosted a B.Y.O. party that was lovingly attended by our Sisters of the Cave.
Good times all. Good games all. If your bring your game in that fashion, you oughta take ‘em on. The Gunslingers will – again and again. We stopped writing articles about the Panic Attacks we were having a long time ago. It’s a symbiosis. They take us apart, and we pat them on the back.
The panel of judges at Second Foundaton pegged TTL and our friends pretty well with the category. The message behind the award [no matter who wins it] is that a gamer can be competitive and non-professional at the same time. One can play the game for fun, and still care about its outcome. One can take pride in one’s craft, even if it takes place in a space rendered by binary code. ‘Tied the Leader’ calls that Recreational gaming. To stake a claim of being non-professional would communicate that we are against professional gaming, and we ain’t.
Don’t mind me. I am just splitting hairs over here for fun.
Thanks for the nod.
Award Nominee gaming is spoken at ‘Tied the Leader’. The table is set for any team who would bring their game clean and true. If you would like to know more, please assemble your troops and report to our Challenge Forum. A helpful front line bristling with TTL Gunslinger Challenge Captains is at the ready to lead the mission.
No matter the skill level under your banner, we have a team that would very much like to meet you.
Take matchmaking into your own hands!
Good write Deej! Thanks for the mentions. :)
A sincere “Thank You” to all our allies as Deej noted in the write-up. The state of “good game” is strong throughout the community indeed!
Nicely penned Deej.
I for one have immensely enjoyed my interaction with our allied clans whether it be matchmaking, customs or challenges, and hope that their numbers will increase in 2007.
Awesome article as usual, good to see you’re back in action.
Great article featuring some great assets to the Halo Nation. Thanks to all of our allies, new and old for helping maintain the integrity of the community.
Great write up.
Our Challenges have been so much fun lately and that’s due to all of the great opponents. If ‘06 was so much fun, we have so much more to look forward in ‘07.
Rematch?
‘06 turned Halo around for me, and that is due to the fact that I joined up with the Gunslingers in October. Since then I have had the opportunity to play with the finest gamers this game has to offer, and that has made all the difference. Thanks ‘Slingers and Allies!
As always, it has been a pleasure gaming with TTL throughout the past year, and I look forward to great things in 2007. We are proud to call you allies.
That said, if the voting doesn’t come out with TPA on top, then I will kindly ask for a recount, all the while stuffing the ballot with our name.
Really though…can’t wait to schedule our first TPA-TTL Halo 3 Beta match!
Before that happens, Jobyn, we have the matter of a Gears of War challenge. Our first! Is your chainsaw bayonet gassed up?
My “Hammer of Dawn” is just waiting for some good satellite coverage. Give me a couple of minutes to lead this Berserker around, and I will be all set!
‘06 was a great year for forming alliances and friendships. I’m glad I could be a part of it while flying the TTL banner.
I’m sure this year will be even better.
Good write up.