UTGMC.COM = Hall of Fame Nominations, May 2003
I realize this may seem arrogant to some of you but I felt I should be able to pick out those guys and gals that have contributed the most, in my humble opinion, over the last couple of years to the development and continuation of the UTGMC. I know I’ve often grumbled about how much I’ve done for the GMC but to be honest my part has been much smaller than most of you might realize. There are many people who put as much thought and effort into the GMC as I have, whether directly or indirectly. So, without one of my laboriously boring introductions, let me introduce my top six picks for membership in the UTGMC.COM Hall of Fame.
After much thought and considerable hair pulling and hand wringing, I’ve finally compiled the list of names, as follows:
* Attention: These six names are not “nominations,” so to speak, but represent the first six members of the Hall of Fame. There is no need to vote for any of them; they are the first members of the HOF. You may add your nominations using the submission form below. If enough votes come in for someone not listed in the ‘top six’ list, then I’ll put together some jiffy info and add the other nominees to the list. I had hoped to have 10 people out of the many hundreds in the GMC community.
1. PaulMaud’Dib – One of the original members of the LASA clan, Jonathan put as much time into creating GMC maps and mutators as anyone I know. He was also instrumental in getting the first dedicated GMC servers up and running. He set up the first non-home-cable-modem Giant Map server called, at first, DogsofWar and then later changed to {LASA}Giants. He provided a place for all the early clans to hold their clan matches and gave us endless hours of good times with his many excellent map traps. I think one of the best things he did was set up the no-ESR Giants server (using his own no-ESR mutators) which was one of the most popular servers ever advertised with the GMC tag. Jonathan wasn’t a big head who needed to be the center of attention yet it was his enthusiasm for the game that got me and the rest of the LASA clan involved in the pre-GMC fun.
2. Dremoan – I discovered Dremoan’s KitchenND map very early on in the days before the GMC came to exist when most “giant” maps were modifications of the venerable BathroomRX map, and little did I know then how much work and effort Dustin would contribute to the giant scale map enthusiasts (his maps are popular outside the GMC community as well). Dustin went on to provide a well-rounded mix of maps specifically for the GMC even when he was feeling down about the way some people stole his work and ruined it with pornographic maps and ugly textures. Dustin even made several maps at my request for use in my “Skagalak’s Mad Men of March” tournament in 2001. Does anyone remember that? Dremoan’s maps remain among the list of most popular GMC maps running on UT servers worldwide. It’s guys like Dremoan that made me want to be involved in this community.
3. Candyman – One of my earliest giant map rivals, Dawson has always been an impressive player under any circumstance and has always been the first to step up to any challenge. He is another example of what makes the GMC a fun place. He has been running probably the single most played giant map server out there. He was running it way back in the early days, although on a cable server like mine and Marmaduke’s, it was popular even way back then. Candyman may not be unbeaten in the 1v1 arena, but over time, he’s kept his skills sharp and his game tight, and no one can say they don’t get Goosebumps when they see him enter a server. I know I always did.
4. Marmaduke – Oh my god! Jeffery might very well have been the best UT player I ever played and the guy wasn’t your standard ESR whore. He could use the double enforcer to take you down while you’re trying to blast him with the ESR. His tricky redeemer action is still talked about in some circles though he hasn’t been spotted on a UT server in over a year. Speaking of servers, according to my records, Marmaduke’s Maphouse #1 and #2 were the first true “giant map” servers that ran 24/7 and featured a variety of cool giant-scale maps. His servers attracted the core players of the GMC and got them hooked early on. I credit Jeffery for interested me in running UT servers and instigating the idea of forming the LASA clan.
5. Nightranger – It’s probably not fair to single out only one of the C B G B founders but I think it’s safe to say that Joe was an integral part of the founding of the GMC. Early on it was Nightranger who got things moving along with LASA and aSh clan matches. And let’s not forget his slogan about holding his translocator. I have always looked up to and respected the C B G B clan for their contributions to the game; their desire to have a “good game” first and a winning game second. Joe’s good nature and professional attitude contributed greatly to the family-friendly orientation the GMC has tried to build.
6. Belzebuth – I personally feel that Julie is the one GMC UT player with the most love of the game. She has always been a great sport and has been making us all smile forever. Julie and I used to chat and play almost every morning on my home cable server way back in the days before things like AIMBOTs and cheat protection. When playing the game was more of an art form. You know, when you would sit on an empty server shooting bots for hours, waiting for another “bathroom map” player to join. I can remember Julie kicking my ass royally with rockets and then me tossing a redeemer at her and having her come back with a “maudit! lol”. Julie is in a class by herself regarding the game of UT.
Honorable Mentions:
- Chopper – He’s been there since the beginning; he put much effort into the Porcelain Gods concept and helped launch the UTGMC.
- Spacedebris – I know we’ve had our differences over the years, but Mark has always been a great member of the GMC. He has been a strong proponent of anti-cheat technology and has done much to keep the cheaters out of the GMC.
- Pssyhco – Jay has been another long-time supporter of the GMC and was involved in the early days.
- BabaOriley – Dave and I spent many nights discussing the concepts around the giant map community with Baba, and he was heavily involved in the planning and discussions that grew into the basis for the GMC. He was also, and probably still is, one of the best damn UT players I ever got to play.
- Hoser – I can’t say enough good stuff about Tom. He’s been the backbone of the admin staff on the forums, and he’s done more than anyone to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Of course, I don’t mean to cast dispersions on the other admins, myself included, but Tom does a lot to help folks out and deserves to be recognized for his efforts. Without him on the staff, this place would have fallen apart long ago.
- Tempus – Brandon has been my best pal since we started playing UT on Candyland and my old Skagalak’s Death Kamp servers in 2000. He’s done a lot of work with logos and graphics to support the GMC, and he’s always been ready and willing to lend a hand with the admin duties.
- Reaper – One of my earliest archrivals from way back. I remember having some pretty fierce arguments with Sean back in the early days, but over time, I started to like the bastard. He’s done an excellent job with the 2399 clan, even though the odds were stacked against him initially.
- Thumper & MightyMax – Without these two guys, half of the existing clans would have never come to be. Although some are long gone, these guys keep popping up when you least expect it.
- Kobyashi Maru – J E L I E L – aka Mind B lender – How can I list influential GMC members and have another archrival like the infamous Mind B lender conspicuously absent? Well, I couldn’t. This guy has played his part in the GMC, whether he knows it or not. A lot of his long-winded arguments did help shape some of our policies and rules, although in roundabout ways.
- The CBGB Clan – Considered the first Giant Map clan, these guys have always been the clan with the best attitude on the battlefield and in the forums. I’ve always looked up to these folks for their professionalism and desire to play the game to have fun first and worry about winning second. This never stopped them from kicking ass on almost all of the GMC clans at one time or another. Without the founding clans, the GMC would have never come together.
- Doctor Death – Originally from GFY clan, Bill came to SdK and has been a strong influence on the GMC in general. He’s been providing top-notch game servers for the GMC for a long time and out of his pocket. Bill and I spent much time playing against one another on the old SdK #1 server before he set up his own. He’s been a great guy as a clan-mate and a GMC member.
- Beanie – Henry, another member of the admin staff, broke the barrier, being the first 2399’er to take on a leadership position on the admin staff. Here’s another example of a guy doing a lot behind the scenes and getting virtually no credit for his efforts.
Special Tribute: {CBGB}BonnEvil
Finally, I’d like to take a few minutes to recognize and pay tribute to one of our members whose life was changed forever this past year. Most of you have probably seen {CBGB}BonnEvil’s name on the forum here, and maybe you’ve played him. Maybe you’re like me, and you regret not being able to meet him this past summer at the first Clam Bake. I did get to know Bob pretty well “in the game.” As I recall, he was one of my first customers on my old Skagalak’s Death Kamp server well before the GMC or the clans were around. He had one of those names that stuck in your head. He and Zflash07 and Belzie and a couple of others still hanging around would make up a crew of regulars that would show up on my server early in the morning and hang out for hours. Bob was a great player, not like a high-end big-time ESR slinger but a guy that you could play with all day and have good games with and not get pissed off because he was arrogant or get bored because he wasn’t challenging. So far as I know, the guy never uttered a negative word against anyone. It was guys like Bob and Bob himself that convinced me to keep my servers going and to stick with the whole GMC project.
I think it’s important to say a few good words about a guy like Bob, who ran a good server and played a great game, and could stand next to the best of us and still put up a good fight. There probably isn’t a nicer guy out there in the GMC, and as I’ve been told from someone who got to meet him in person: “He was a gem in person as well, what an interesting guy too, intelligent, and well versed on just about any topic we discussed.”