ET: 20th Annivesary LAN - Player Interviews

h20 e-sports | Purmerend, NL | May 26th - 28th 2023

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Interview with SDC.HeDo

Background

1. When did you start playing ET, and how did you get into it?

In the distant 2004, a classmate invited me to his house for a lanparty with other friends to play Quake3 and Medal of Honor. Towards the end, he comes up with this "new game" still based on the quake engine: Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory! We play a few maps among ourselves, and it's love at first sight. When I got back home, I downloaded and installed it, and the rest is history. Apart from a few brief period in minor clans, I basically played on public servers until 2019. From then on, I focused on the competitive aspect of the game, essentially rediscovering it.

2. What's your most memorable moment so far in your ET history, and why?

Without any doubt the match of the Spring Cup 2021 SDC vs CIAT. I had the honour to be the captain of an amazing lineup: HeDo Webe Xylos meehow Bakki Alprax. We rolled CIAT and this is, by far, one of my best memories of ET. In the end Xylos apologised for his low performance but he was actually the man of the match. We had a good laugh.

3. What do you feel is the most important skill in terms of contributing to winning in ET?

If you had asked me this question 4 years ago, I would have said aiming. Now I can say without a doubt that teamplay is essential. Even more important is the ability to understand situations and choose the right thing to do. So, in conclusion, I would say situational awareness.

4. How does it feel to be the captain of OG and to compete in the LAN event?

It's a dream come true. I've already participated in some Enemy Territory gatherings in Italy, and they have always been among my best memories. Our goal is not so much competition, but spending time with the guys and girls with whom we have shared so much time online.

The Team at LAN

5. What is your confirmed lineup and the roles of the players?

Our lineup is HeDo, Plain, rezta, zenix, Alprax, and Alprax2. We have two pairs of brothers on the team. As for the roles, it's FFA.

6. How did the team come together?

We naturally found each other among Italians, with the support of rezta and zenix to complete the lineup. We all know each other in person, and we are quite close-knit.

7. What's your goal at LAN? Is there a finishing position you are targeting?

Our goal at LAN is to set a time on at least one map. After that, the rest is gravy.

8. What would you say was your best performance as a team to date?

Managing to have all six of us present at a practice before the LAN.

9. Who on your team is most likely to miss their flight and turn up late to LAN?

I hope no one, although we will have an exceptional backup with us: my brother!

10. How do you prepare for games?

We don't need it.

11. What has been your team's biggest challenge leading up to the LAN event, and how have you been working to overcome it?

Although we are all quite active individually, finding all six of us together at the same time is the biggest challenge.

Predictions

12. Of the teams signed up for the LAN event, what is your prediction for the final rankings?

I would be surprised if Elysium doesn't win, but the contenders are fierce. In particular, v56 could play their cards right. The third place is to be seen between Cat in a Hat and OG. Exile is also in the game but doesn't start with an advantage.

13. Who are you most looking forward to meeting at LAN and why?

I'm definitely looking forward to meeting Sebhes, Helldembez, and Kimi at the LAN event. The first one, to shake his hand for the incredible effort it takes to organize a LAN event. The second one, for his fundamental contributions to the ET Legacy project, and Kimi for her support and development of the GatherMaster Bot, to which I was even able to contribute some time ago. Besides them, the list would be very long and I might risk forgetting someone, so I will avoid mentioning other names!

14. Which player do you think is the most likely to drink so much that they will not be able to play the next day?

Haha, that's too difficult a question, unfortunately. I'll wait for Juicy.

15. Are there any particular matchups you are looking forward to?

Yes, the match against Opus Magnum. I believe our chances of setting a time are all pinned on that match.

The Opposition

16. Out of the opposition players, who is the most difficult to play against, in your opinion?

Usually, I spend half the game exploding from grenades, rifles, and strikes. So, I would say pretty much everyone.

17. Which team do you think is most likely to pleasantly surprise people (dark horse pick)?

In my opinion, Exile could prove to be more difficult to beat than others expect. Moreover, there are very strong players, like mouss, Sinche, and takerjay, who are often underestimated.

18. Which opposition player do you feel is most underrated?

I think rsp and Sinche are two of the most underrated players. They are extremely solid and amazing teamplayers.

The Future

19. What does the future hold for you and the team following LAN?

This LAN could be the end of the fantastic 19-year journey that has been Enemy Territory. I have a little daughter who is taking up more and more of my time, and despite my efforts, my available time is limited. Personally, I think everyone will continue to play gathers when possible, but I doubt the team will continue to compete. Never say never, though; only those who live will see!

20. If you could make one change to the game, what would it be?

Unlike many, I don't think ET is some kind of untouchable totem that should be preserved as Bani left it to us with the latest version of ETPro several geological eras ago.

The ET Legacy project is the salvation of this game and, unquestionably, its future. What is missing is an organizational structure that brings together both development and the community. I know it's unthinkable given the distributed nature of the game with various independent communities on different servers, etc... But we need to establish a non-profit organization that takes over from Splash Damage, possibly in collaboration with them.

The role of this entity would be to finance the development of Legacy and manage the community with events and tournaments. The board members of this organization would be elected each year from the community of players and developers.

It is also necessary to create a central hub like clanbase used to be to provide a reference point for the community and manage the onboarding process for new players. This game cannot continue on old glories; it must be able to attract new players and accompany them on their journey to the competitive scene. I know it seems utopian and that all of this is unattainable, but this is my idea for bringing ET to self-sustainability and expanding the community as much as possible.

21. Are there any maps outside the current eight maps at LAN you would like to see in future tournaments?

The big absentee is decay. Although I initially hated it, I now realize it's a great map to escape from the supply goldrush adlernest triad.