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A Lovely Thing

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A Lovely Thing

Last week a certain type of blog posts started to appear on the blogs that I follow. All refered to the Liebster Award. I seriously have no idea what it exactly is. Murfy blogged about it and asked us “Why do/did you read this blog?”. I answered with “I read it, because this Liebster thing is a complete mystery to me.” It still is.

Liebster is kind of a weird thing to me, mostly because it has ‘lieb’ in it, which means sweet in German. That’s why I named this post ‘A Lovely Thing’. From what I’ve seen in the other posts, people share a bit of themselves, some very personal things. Then they nominate other people, ones they want to know more about, other who are their friends. I think this whole thing was sweet.

Murf challenged me to answer a few questions after my first comment:

I would love to know about your blog name origins, why you started blogging, your first MMO character, your favorite game ever, the food you must love eating, and your guiltiest pleasure!

Then on Twitter he challenged me to do some more:

I accepted both challenges so I have a ton of questions to answer. Feel free to post more questions in the comments. I’ll add them with my answers :) I won’t nominate anyone else though. Most people that I want to nominate have already posted about the Liebster award and I’d just ask them to do the same again.

I’ve been nominated two more times since I’ve posted this. RowanBlaze and Simcha both asked me a few questions in their posts and Jaedia asked me to answer her questions without an nomination. I answered a few of the questions on the big wall of questions from Murfy, so I took those out. But scroll down to see more Q&A with me :D

Now, on to the questions!

The best made game you ever played. (a game you feel was well-designed and enjoyable)

Pokémon. It’s probably the only franchise that keeps me entertained and makes me buy at least one game per generation. I started playing it around 1997, when the official English version wasn’t out yet. My brother found a half translated rom and emulator online and he made me a copy on a floppy disk so I could play on the old pc from my dad. I’ve played it ever since. When you’ve played a game (seriously, every new game has the same design and some extra shiny stuff) for almost 20 years, it is a game that’s either the best or second best.

Your favorite ice cream and/or desert.

I make a delicious tiramisu and even the variants on the original recipe are amazing. I usually order crème brûlée in a restaurant.

Are you lazy? Why?

I don’t think I’m lazy per se. It’s a combination of factors and you’ll probably think it’s an excuse. My health isn’t good and that stops me from doing certain things. Like last week, I dislocated my right arm. That stops me from doing just about everything. My arm hurts, the power in my hand is gone and I’m afraid it’ll happen again.

I don’t do sports anymore and sit on my butt most days. You might call it lazy. But even washing my hands or getting dressed is dangerous for me. A dislocated shoulder, hip, sprained ankle or wrist is just around the corner. I can sprain my ankle by taking a step. If it’s really my lucky day, I feel my hip pushing towards a subluxation. I want to dance again, do sports again, be able to do active things again, but I can’t.

Why do you write?

Because, if I don’t, I’ll go crazy. Stories and ideas pop up every hour every day. I have to write them down to get them out of my head. Some are really persistent and hang around. I have to write them out completely before I can get some peace again.

What’s your proudest moment in a video game?

This is a hard one. Probably when I beat my friends. I’m not a very good gamer and my boyfriend is one of the best I know. I gets called out as a hacker because of his scores. I just hang around the bottom of the ladder when it comes to skill. But now I’m getting better and beat my friends in League of Legends. It almost feels as good as the time when I beat my brother at chess after he beat the school champion.

What’s a dream you’re still pursuing?

I still want to get my stories published. I’m working towards that now. The next step is actually earn ten bucks with my writing.

Among your group of friends, which friend type are you? (the crazy one, quiet one, ambitious one, planner, designated-driver, etc)

The type of friend who cancels the day of the event. How I feel changes every day and sometimes even every hour. I used to cancel a lot of social events because I didn’t have the energy or because the pain was unbearable. Sometimes the event itself would ask too much of me.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m loyal and I’ll do anything for my friends, but I need a little understanding for my situation.

What do you do to get away from it all?

I have a few books that I read at those times or games I play. They don’t require a lot of brain power. I’ve finished the books at least five times and hack ‘n’ slash games don’t require more than two mouse buttons.

How many fingers am I holding up?

Three, because you’re using one hand, and the thumb and pinkie don’t have finger in their name :D

Do you like dancing? Why or why not?

Yes, I took dancing classes for three years.  I know the basics of the Foxtrot, quick step, the English waltz, the Viennese waltz, tango, cha-cha, rumba, jive, samba and salsa. I want to dance again, but I’d need the right partner.

What’s your super power in real life (your special talent)?

I can recoginze guys from the butts. And remembering useless stuff.

What was your very first MMO character and why did you choose that race/class?

I don’t even remember what my first real MMO was. It probably was a free korean one. The first unofficial MMO I played was Neverwinter Nights on a 96 people persistent server. My first character was an Elf called Na’ella Ysan’Gwan, named from the random name generator. She was a bard/rogue. I still use the name for some of my character.

What is your favorite role in MMOs and why? Doesn’t have to necessarily be a typical part of the trinity.

I don’t have a favorite role. I choose a class/profession based on what interests me at that moment. I want to be able to solo and support myself.

What is the origin of your blogging name or gaming handle?

I’ll tell you about my nickname and tell you the origin of my blog name later as an answer to another question.

I was 13 when I first thought about adopting a nickname for the online world. I needed something real, unique, mine. I think it was around 11 pm on a school night and the name Endalia popped up. I’ve used it ever since.

Do you have a game that you like the idea/setting of but don’t or won’t play?

The game Inquisition is a game I won’t play. It seems very interesting, but its concept goes against my principles. I’ve done a report on the Spanish Inquisition and I hate what they did. Killing innocents because they believed they didn’t believe what they believed. They didn’t listen, they forced people to lie, to save themselves, or to earn death. I’m still reluctant to play Dragon Age: Inquisition because of that, but I trust Bioware to give me a path of goodness that I can follow.

What was your most exciting/memorable moment in gaming?

My most memorable moment in gaming is probably the first time I met someone nice while doing a multiplayer game. A man who still treated me like a person after he figured out that I was a girl.

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

No one, I stole the cookie jar with all the cookies.

If you could turn into one animal (and back) at will, what animal?

Dragon. My Chinese zodiac sign is a dragon. I really like dragons and the symbolism behind them.

You must add one thing to gaming culture but also remove one thing what are the things? Can be a custom, behavior, etc.

I would add acceptance for the female demographic in the game industry and player base and I would remove the ignorance and hatred. Can I choose two things?

If you had to quit writing/blogging tomorrow what would you do in its place?

I’d probably make videos. I’d still have the ideas and stories to tell, so I’d need a different medium to express myself. I can’t draw and my physical problems will prevent me from drawing in the future, so I’d need something else. I’ve made videos in the past and I want to do so again in the future.

If you could have one pet/mount from a game what would it be?

A chocobo probably. Or a skelk from Guild Wars 2. They’re cute :)

What is your favorite game?

I don’t know. I dreamt about Guild Wars 2 and League of Legends, so they’re on my mind a lot. I like playing them and I love certain characters in those games. Maybe I should add Dragon Age: Origins to the list because of Alistair

Who is your favorite blogger?

Neil Gaiman. I’m sorry fellow bloggers, but I’m biased. I admire him and his work and it seems like everything that’s seen daylight (made public) is great. I love his books, his graphic novels, his movies, his plays, his radio plays, his blogs, everything.

Which blogger would you like to meet in real life and why?

All of my blogger friends! If you’re reading this, it’s you. If you’re in the Netherlands please let me know so we can hang out :D

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

The power of regeneration. Why? Because I’m in pain a lot and this would help me get better.

PC or Console?

I have a pc, a few consoles and handhelds. I play the games I like on the system that works for me.

Do you like to be the center of attention, or blend into the crowd?

In bigger groups (3 or more) I automatically shut up and start observing. I don’t know why. Sometimes my inner extrovert calls out and I want to be in the spotlight. I want to be a performer, I want to sing on stage (no, it sounds horrible, don’t let me do that), play the bass in a band (even if the bass player is mostly in the shadows). I want to get into the spotlight, but only because of my writing.

What would make you blush/ make you embarrassed?

Lots of things. I’ve been raised in a protective family and making mistakes was heavily punished.

Weapon of choice under a zombie apocalypse?

Death. I don’t want to experience that.

Why do you blog?

To improve and test my writing. I need feedback to get better, so please leave more comments :D

What is the thing you like most about yourself?

I’m flexible. I’m hypermobile, so it’s a physical thing, but I’m also mentally flexible. Hearing you’ll have to deal with chronic pains for the rest of your life is something big. Some people take it badly. I did, for a while. Before my diagnosis I thought I was going to die. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, my I could barely breath, why my body didn’t do what I wanted it to do. But I got out of that deep valley of black emotions and started to live again. A year ago, I heard that I also have Tietze’s Syndrome. I feel stabs in my chest that can be compared to heart attacks. Sometimes every hour. But I can deal with it. I can adapt to new situations, no matter how bad they are.

Why is the sky blue?

The same reason why the ocean is blue.

What’s the last song you listened to?

Consciously? Uptown Funk. Willingly? Super Junior – The Beat Goes On

When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Probably a teacher. I was a teacher for a while, until I got this job. I can’t be the high school teacher I wanted to be back then. You probably know that high school teacher is a stressful job. Stress only worsens the pain, which means I have to avoid it as much as possible.

If you could live in any fictional world (from a game, book, movie, whatever) which would it be?

My own. It’s already in my head and I’ve been going there for years.

Stark, Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, or Baelish?

What? I haven’t read the books yet, but I want the dragons. Can I have those? I don’t care about the people.

Sci-fi or fantasy?

Fantasy.

Do you finish most video games you play (if they have endings)?

If they have an ending, I will try to, which doesn’t always mean I reach it.

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Two coconuts

What food could you eat every day and never get sick of?

Chocolate. I’m a woman, what can I say? Also, white chocolate is  just about the only painkiller that works for me.

What video game character do you most identify with?

I don’t know. One that’s like me? Which is none.

In order to complete a quest would you rather use might, cunning, or magic?

Cunning.

What was the original incarnation for you handle and blog domain?

I’ll answer the question about my blog domain here. If you want to know about my nickname, please scroll up for the answer.

My blog is called Princess in a Castle. I started my real gaming career with Super Mario Brothers 3. The tune of world one is still stuck in my mom’s head. It’s probably the only music my sister heard during the pregnancy. It always bothered me that the princess was in another castle. Now it’s a meme. I didn’t name it after Peach though, but it helped that it’s popular.

To really explain it I have to share a bit of family history. I think it’s interesting, some people think it’s really important, others don’t understand it.

My dad is Indonesian, my mom Dutch. The Dutch side isn’t very interesting, it’s the Indonesian side that’s exotic. Not only because it’s Asian, from the other side of the world, but because of my ancestors. I have an official family with certificate that I’m a descendant of the first sultan of Jogyakarta. The sultan is equal to a king, emperor, ruler. I actually have noble blood. My branch of the family was from one of his mistresses, so we have no claim whatsoever on anything royal over there, except shared history and a special connection. Some people in Indonesia regard such connections highly. I just think it’s interesting.

Last year I signed up for a project to build my own house. It’s not finished yet, but it will be my castle. And thus Princess in a castle is born. It’s my own domain, where I can do what I want. I’m the princess, the queen, the ruler. What I say goes.

Being stuck in a small 10×10 room with 100 ducks, or a 20×20 room with 10 wolf sized ducks. Pick one and why?

10 wolf sized ducks. I’d trick them to help me escape.

Which incarnation of your game avatar would you pick to become real, which would you pick to become imprisoned. Add the game you pick from for context.

Naella Ysangwan to become real, because she’s awesome. I don’t really care which version.

Nefarious to become imprisoned, because he’s an ass. He’s the character I play for evil/bad sides. I don’t really care if he’s locked up.

Were you the big stud in any game, which one and what did you learn from gettin’ so fine at a game?

I’ll never be a big stud and I’ll never be better at any game that my boyfriend plays as well. And all the other games have better players. I accept that I’m not the #1 player, I don’t need to be. As long as I can keep improving my scores.

Pick a scene from a game that you remember the most. Describe it.Your SO is now the antagonist in the game. How does this change the scene and how does this make you feel?

Any romantic scene with Alistair from Dragon Age: Origins. The first kiss, the first time sharing a bed, our marriage, the promise to be together forever.

I don’t really know how it would change the scene as there is no antagonist in these scenes. If he were to take Alistair’s place, that’d be great. But if he becomes the looming danger and evil of the Arch Demon, I would know death would come sooner rather than later. The feelings for Alistair would become more intense.

Which fictional food would you make real, if only for a meal.

Omnomberry pie. I really want to check out the extra magic find in real life.

Pick a popular franchise and wipe it from the public consciousness, which would it be? Gaming or not.

Call of Duty.

Describe yourself in 3 sentences. The first in one word, second in 3 words, the last in 5 words.

Special. Very flexible joints. Unique in every single way.

Can you reword or rewrite your last answer into a haiku?

No.

League of Legends? Why or why not?

YES. I love Sona and Sivir. Sivir fits my play style perfectly and Sona is very close to my heart. She doesn’t speak, but only expresses herself through her art. There used to be a time when I didn’t use Teamspeak and wouldn’t let anyone online here my voice.

Besides that, I really like kicking my friends’ ass. I’m not bad at it, and I know I can get better. That’s a good motivator to keep playing.

Pick a game that you want others to play, and one that you want others to stop playing. Give us a reason.

I want more people to play educational games. Any. Educational games are good at developing transferable skills. We can use them in other disciplines, daily lives, our jobs, anything.

I want people to stop playing military shooters. I want game developers to put their energy towards better uses, more innovative stuff. Not just rehashing the same things.

What are the three major elements of your ideal video game?

Great character developement, an interesting story and challenging puzzles, just hard enough.

What is your favorite biome?

Somewhere warm. My joints and muscles hurt when it’s colder than 15 degrees (Celsius, I’m Dutch, duh). Humidity doesn’t matter much, but clean air would be nice as well.

What is your favorite genre of movie?

I watch a lot of different genres. Netflix is so confused, it doesn’t know what to recommend me.

How did you get started blogging?

I wanted to improve my writing and this seemed like a good way to do that

What is your fondest childhood memory?

Probably christmas and my grandpa’s house. He lived in a big house and my aunt and uncle still lived there as well. My grandpa’s birthday was december 26th, second christmas day, or boxing day. Everyone in the family gathered and had dinner together. My parents, my brother and sister, me, my three other uncles and aunts.

What is your favorite in game “mount” and why?

I don’t really play games with mounts, but a dragon or unicorn mount is always awesome.

Do you collect “mini pets” in game, and if so do you have a favorite?

Yes, probably one of my Quaggans. Because Quaggan is awesome

Cats, Dogs or Something else?

Dogs. I’m slightly allergic to cats.

Describe your relationship with your automobile.

What? I don’t have a car.

What role of the holy trinity of tank/dps/healer fits your personality most?

Healer. I want to help people, I want to help people get better. Not only when they’re sick, but also to become a better version of themself.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

My guiltiest pleasure is Princess Maker, a kid raising sim. i love playing it and I want to reach all the endings. I still want to make a decent English site with lots of information about the franchise.

Did you stick with that character as your main as long as you were playing that game? Why or why not?

I often have multiple characters in MMO type games. I like playing multiple classes and often switch to the class that fits the type of playing I want at that moment. I’m also picking a char/class based on the activity we’re doing.

For example, in Guild Wars 2 I use my ranger for PvE mostly, while I like using my mesmer and guardian in PvP. I have other classes, but not all of them are max level yet. I’m sure I’ll add some of them into the rotation for certain events.

What is your favorite zone in any MMO?

I really like the Maguuma maps in Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. The jungle looks pretty with glowing flowers and bright colours.

Maguuma Jungle

Maguuma Jungle

What gaming innovation are you looking forward to or hoping for most in the next twenty years?

Twenty years? That’s a long time. I know VR is a hype right now, but that’s one gaming innovation I’m not looking forward too. I just hope that games will get better. Better integration of gameplay and story. Better graphics. Better controls. Better communities. Everything better, but it’s impossible for me to say how it’ll be in twenty years.

What is your favorite pastime besides video gaming or blogging?

Reading and writing. I’m big on fiction in any type of medium. I devour books (check my Goodreads) and write my own stories. You might have seen some short pieces on my blog :)

What house would you be sorted into: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Slytherin?

Anything but Hufflepluff I think. I know I’ve got brains and study well. I have some courage, but maybe not enough for Gryffindor. And I do have a bad side. I’ll never say I’m sweet, because I know I can be mean.

What is your favorite holiday?

The one where I can relax and immerse myself in a new culture. I’ve traveled and seen parts of the world already. I do know that I like at least some basic hygenic needs, like toilet paper and a toilet bowl. No holes in the ground or toilets with 5 cm of water where people washed there butts in please.

What is your favorite vacation spot (or dream vacation)?

I really like England. Maybe because I understand the people, but I’ve been to London a few times now, New Castle and I’ll be going to Canterbury in June. I know I’ll be going there in the future as well.

Other beautiful places are the Rocky Mountains in Canada. I was there with a friend and her family, camping for ten days. That was awesome.

My family has shown my around Jogyakarta, which is also very beautiful. But I don’t like the toilets there. (See previous answer)

What brings you joy?

Pain free days. They are rare for me, so I enjoy them when I can. Other things that bring me joy are my boyfriend, animals and beautiful things. Even the littlest thing can brighten my day :)

Who, what, and/or where does your blogging inspiration come from?

I don’t really know the source of my inspiration. I usually wish I had some kind of guide or information on a topic and instead of looking for it, I want to write it myself. I hope I can help others that way.

Do you know sign language? Why not?

One of my friends taught me the alphabet and I watched a Japanese that had a deaf character in it. The main character learned sign language for her, so I know how to say “Daisuki” in Japanese sign language :)

Subtitle or not? (Games, TV, whatever)

Dutch television always has subs for other languages, even Flemish. So I grew up with subs. When I know a language well enough, I don’t really needs subs anymore, unless the background noise is so loud I can’t hear what they’re saying.

What is the first MMO you’d want to visit in full VR mode?

I can’t handle VR. I have motion sickness and my eyesight is really bad. I know I won’t be able to use any kind of VR glasses in the near future.

Which ingame MMO place/location do you consider a home to return to?

Diablo’s Abyss in Diablo 2 probably. He was always happy to see me, wagging his tail like a little puppy, giving me gifts and keep me warm.

What would you name your guild? Why that name?

The guild I’m in right now is named Orto Sole. My boyfriend is the guild leader and started this guild in the second beta weekend of the original Guild Wars. It means “After the sun rose”. It’s beautiful and poetic and it’s one I’d like to keep. I’m bad with names, especially for things like this.

What are you looking forward to this year?

My house! I really hope they’ll finish it this year. I’m still busy sorting out the details of the kitchen and the bathroom and soon I have to pick out the front door and the stones. I’m really excited about all of it, but getting the key will be awesome :)

What is your favorite book/book series/author? (delete as appropriate)

Neil Gaiman. As I said before, He’s my fav in everything. If I could make a pantheon he would be my god of literature.

My favorite book is American Gods by the god of literature himself.

My favorite book series is probably Wicca/Sweep by Cate Tiernan. I started reading the books when I was 15. I’ve read the whole series (15 books) about five times now, and I’m rereading them again. I’m on book three, but I expect to have them all finished before the end of the month.

Are you on Twitter? If no, why not? If yes, what has been your experience?

Yes. My professor at the university told us to join, so I did.

Twitter is my favorite social medium, because it helped me earn some money, discover new talent and make awesome friends.

Do you enjoy podcasting as a medium? Why/why not?

I rarely listen to podcasts. Mostly because I don’t have a lot of time and I don’t listen to anything during my commute. If I miss a train announcement, I might end up in Germany or Belgium D:

I watch the Co-optional Podcast with TotalBiscuit, Jesse Cox en Crendodger from time to time, but never a whole show. I don’t have the time for it. The moments where they don’t talk about games and goof off are the best. That’s why I really like the Co-optional lounge they’re doing now.

What do you feel games are lacking in 2015?

It’s only three months in and I know there’s lots of goodness on the horizon. So I won’t answer this.

I can tell you what games in 2014 lacked. Punch. I didn’t feel as if there was a game I had to have. Sure, I bought the new Pokemon, but nothing interested me much. It’s probably the small indie games that are taking over the AAA games and since they have a small marketing budget, I rarely see them.

Where do you get your game news?

Twitter.  Or Engadget, which I read at work, secretly.

Could you show us a picture of your desk? If you say no, I’ll be sad.

Wait. Let me clean up first. All the folded papers are covered in stories and ideas I write at work.

Desk

Beards. For or against and why?

No, they itch. My lips are delicate and don’t react well to prickly beards.

What is the best gif you’ve come across?

I have no idea. I don’t really save gifs or think of one as the best. It’s probably a panda doing something silly.

Sneezing Panda

Sneezing panda

Share something with us that made you laugh recently.

We had sales training last week and one thing that everyone hates in these kinds of training sessions are the role plays. The teacher was the buying party and my colleague was the salesman. The role of the teacher was crazy. It was a talkative man who wouldn’t shut up with the small talk. He even mentioned the fictional boss of my colleague. The boss’s daughter was very beautiful, single and with 2HF, 2 hands full. He mimicked grabbing her boobs. My boss, female colleague and me almost fell off our chair laughing. Mostly because that colleague is single and actively looking for a girlfriend. He makes sexist comments and he now had a worthy opponent.

It’s probably something of ‘you had to be there’, but it made me laugh. It made me laugh so hard, my muscles ached.

What’s it’s like being a gamer in The Netherlands?

I’m Dutch myself but have only recently come “home” after spending my entire life abroad and I’m not really on the up and up on what the gaming culture here is like in terms of attitude, atmosphere, etc.

I do know that there are a lot of Dutch gamers and all that, but I’m curious about what it’s like to be in the actual community. (Question asked by @Varr)

I’ve written about the gaming community I’m part of before, so please read this post.

Gaming and the game industry is booming in the Netherlands. Small indie studios gain success (Vlambeer for example) and government funds, we have a few well known SC2 players, like Ret and Grubby, and we have our own eSports event. I think that Dutch gamers in general are good players. I don’t see many who AFK or act like douches. You’re very welcome to play with us and/or join on Teamspeak to get a feel of a Dutch gaming community :)

Excuse my English. I’ll polish this post later with links and pics :)

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10 comments

  • Jaedia11/03/2015 at 21:48Reply

    Now answer my questions! I purposely made mine all fun and positive. <3 (I wanted to tag everybody but didn't have time to properly comb through who had and hadn't been tagged yet :<)

    • Endalia11/03/2015 at 21:59Reply

      I’ll add yours as soon as possible :) Probably tomorrow though, but I’ll let you know when I’ve updated the post :D

  • Murf12/03/2015 at 06:53Reply

    This was awesome! I learned a lot about you, and I really appreciate that you took the time and energy to answer so many questions.

    • Endalia12/03/2015 at 07:13Reply

      More questions and answers are coming though :)

  • rowan13/03/2015 at 00:16Reply

    This is great. Thank you for being so generous with your time. New subscriber here.

    • Endalia13/03/2015 at 05:53Reply

      Thank you :D

  • Varr18/03/2015 at 15:17Reply

    An entertaining, informative and interesting read.

    For a question: What’s it’s like being a gamer in The Netherlands? I’m Dutch myself but have only recently come “home” after spending my entire life abroad and I’m not really on the up and up on what the gaming culture here is like in terms of attitude, atmosphere, etc.

    I do know that there are a lot of Dutch gamers and all that, but I’m curious about what it’s like to be in the actual community.

    Thanks, and keep up the great work.

    • Endalia18/03/2015 at 19:51Reply

      Thank you for reading and your question :)

      I’ve written about the gaming community I’m part of.
      Gaming and the game industry is booming in the Netherlands. Small indie studios gain success (Vlambeer for example) and government funds, we have a few well known SC2 players, like Ret and Grubby, and we have our own eSports event. I think that Dutch gamers in general are good players. I don’t see many who AFK or act like douches. You’re very welcome to play with us and/or join on Teamspeak to get a feel of a Dutch gaming community :)

    • Droniac18/03/2015 at 22:30Reply

      The Dutch gaming community as a whole is friendly, but far more nationalistic than it used to be. In the late 90s / early 2000s Dutch gamers were the backbone of most international gaming organizations and teams. Nowadays they overwhelmingly prefer to play with other Dutch gamers. They’ll still switch to English if required or requested, but a lot more reluctantly than they used to.

      As such in MMOs you’ll often see Dutch gamers band together on a single server (e.g.: Far Shiverpeaks in Guild Wars 2) and within that server join a handful of mega-guilds of all-Dutch players. When it comes to competitive play they mostly band together into all-Dutch teams too (and suck as a result). Not that the latter matters a great deal: contrary to every other European country, the Dutch competitive gaming scene is largely dead nowadays. The LAN scene has largely died off too, although that can also be attributed to extremely good internet connections even by North/West-European standards.

      The whole Dutch nationalism thing is a bit odd if you consider the fact that the early Dutch-lead competitive scene in games like Quake and UT (and later RtCW) is what the entire modern European eSports scene was built around. Indeed the notion of prestigious LAN finals and mega-LANs like DreamHack stems from Dutch initiatives in the late 90s and early 2000s. Even the current primary league & event organizer in Europe – ESL – started as little more than a German clone of a prior successful Dutch initiative: ClanBase. Sadly that entire Dutch-international competitive scene was wiped out when developers ceased producing hardcore shooters – as we hadn’t embraced the likes of Counter Strike, Call of Duty, and DoTA the way everyone else in Europe had. And still haven’t, really. As such all we have now is – not even – a handful of StarCraft 2 pros, where we used to have dominant players and teams in pretty much anything that wasn’t Counter Strike. So… much as eSports has really started to take off everywhere else, or remained at similar levels of interest and activity (Germany and Sweden come to mind), it has actually regressed a lot here.

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Guild Wars 2 Fiction

Miira Lightbringer:
Fried Moa Steak
Quiet Before the Storm

Young Miira:
Tail Tugging Part 1
A Promise Made Part 2
Night Falls Part 3
Grawling Preparations Part 4
Badazar Incarnated Part 5
Graduation Part 6 - Final

Savyrius Belain:
We Meet Again...

Naella Ysangwan:
Dogs and Ogres

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