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I started playing Jedi Knight maybe two years ago on the Xbox. I actually played Jedi Knight 2 (I think that was the one) without really knowing anything about the previous games or the history... I really loved that game, but found playing it on the Xbox pretty hard. At the time I only rented the game from a video store, and so after I took it back I kinda forgot about the whole Jedi Knight games
Well a year or so later, I was back in the rental store and stumbled upon Jedi Academy. Still not knowing anything at all about the series I passed it over a couple visits, looking at the back and wondering whether or not I should try it. Well, one day I finally decided to give it a try and I was glad I did. I personally found the gameplay a lot more fun; not to mention being able to make my own character (Kyle Katarn was cool and all... but not someone I liked to control) really helped my interest level. I was never too fond of staves or duals... and after some trial and error in SP I stuck with single.
Again, I only rented this game, so after my time was up I took it back... and left the game for my memories. I eventually honestly forgot about the game, as a lot happened in my personal life between those times. But not too long ago (about a week before I joined (JAWA)) I was with my mother in a store running errands and ended up randomly finding the PC version of Jedi Academy on the shelf. I felt pretty lucky, as the copy I held was the only copy left on the shelf. And the price was really cheap too (only like $12). So that day I went home with a PC copy of Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy - fancy that.
Well, I played JA for a little while figuring things out, and server hopping. I managed to find JK3 files and searched for one of my favorite video game characters: Solid Snake. Yeah yeah, Solid Snake. I didn't spend a lot of time checking out custom content, and Darth Kitty's skin wasn't bad.. so I figured "What the hell? I can always change later."
Before I joined (JAWA) I was actually briefly in another clan; RoAR (Rebels of Another Realm). This clan... it was crap. The Leader was arrogant, ignorant, self absorbed, cocky, and an all out ass. He would lame his own members for fun, harass them etc etc... I spent maybe a week in the clan, before I decided to leave.
I spent some time in (JAWA)'s server before I joined RoAR, and before I even quit RoAR I applied for (JAWA). Thankfully the Council trusted me when I said I'd quit my current clan for the new one, and thats exactly what I did when I was accepted. I plastered my resignation from RoAR and moved into (JAWA). Its the best thing I've ever done.
You know, the leader of RoAR actually banned me from his server/forums after I quit, because he was so pig-headed.
Some of the first members of the clan I met were actually Cry4pxls, Caelum, Drako, Draggy, Chrono & Wolf. I learned what I could from them... most of my actual progress came from Chrono & Wolf however. The funniest thing I remember was the way I stumbled into Chrono. At the time he was undercover as a guy named "Banana" and after some time of casual conversation I came to learn that he was a Council named Chrono. I'd never heard of him, but the more I talked to him I knew I'd never forget him. He taught me a lot of strong stance, patience and technique... things that I still apply to this day. A lot of my style I learned from fighting him a LOT (and losing a lot too I might add).
After the troubles within the clan regarding Chrono, he stopped showing up in-game hardly at all, so I found a hard time progressing in my training. Chrono and I talked a LOT over the past couple months, and he always pushed his nose as far as he could get into my business. But even after arguing with him, cursing up a storm at him even blocking him several times on MSN and we still keep in touch. I love him like a brother and I don't really care what other people think about that.
Well after meeting Wolf (and dueling him; meaning losing) I asked him how he managed to beat me so easily. With his simple explanations it finally managed to click inside my head on how to fight, and from that point on I continued to improve on an everyday basis.
As time passed I seemed to make more friends... and eventually I came across some crazy guy named Jasp. Well apparently this loopy Rosh reskin-wearing guy got tired of seeing me as a Jan, and asked me what skin I used. After a brief conversation we somehow started talking about mice and mousetraps. How the conversation was steered there I'll never remember... Anyway, Jasp & I exchanged MSN names & started talking to each other pretty much everyday. He became my closest friend, and still is to this day.
I spent most of that time socializing within the clan. And even with all the people I knew, I never really met SiLink at all. Well I saw him from time to time, but never really said anything to him... in all honesty I was a bit nervous. I didn't know anything about him really, and was afraid he would be an ass like my previous clan's leader. Well that most certainly was not the case; I finally saw SiLink for a long time one night, and he was relieving stress in the server by spawning howlers on top of one another, and shooting us poor members with a turret gun....ahh... good times... goooood times... From that point on I actually viewed SiLink as border-line insane [whisper]Sorry SiLink, but its the truth. XD[/whisper] Well I can't talk much. I'm not exactly normal either. *Shrug*
Speaking of friends, I remembered one guy that was always very interesting to me. And that guy would be Yami. Yami was (and is) VEEEERY unique in my opinion. From the day I met him when I first found (JAWA) I've been trying to get him to talk to me frequently. I talk to him almost everyday, and I still have hard times striking conversations with him. Very unique person... he is.
Anyway putting friendships aside... during all that time I spent socializing... my training pretty much stopped. Nobody really taught me anything (execpt for SiLink teaching me to get around better without a grapple) and I started to get frustrated with it.
Well when FFA Bespin was put in the server I managed to trip and smack my face into a this pretty little gem that wa-...
I mean I found a technique atop the rooftops that I've held very dearly to myself. This technique is something so obvious, but overlooked by a lot of people. Its the reasons for most of my talent. Well... at any rate...
I've trained a couple people, some I've shown basic stuff, others I've shared my own personal style with (such as Knightmare and AngeL). AngeL I actually trained up to her formidable strong stance techniques. This was waaaay before she joined the Dragons though... back when she first joined the clan. I can't take any credit for her style, she learned what she wanted and formed it to her own personal tastes. The last time I dueled her I saw my style had left her anyway.
So because of the past experiences, I don't train people anymore, and never plan to. But I do teach basic principles to people (blocking, swinging, jumping) only things that real Jedi Knight newbies would need.
Becoming a Council is something I think is my biggest accomplishment in the clan, but I was disappointed to reach the rank without reaching Elite first. But picking between the two, I enjoy being a Council more anyway.
Nowadays my activity isn't 24/7 as it used to be, but I'm still around pretty frequently (even though some claim to never see me).
Well since I'm running out of things to discuss, I'll just leave it at that. There's a bit about myself, hopefully readers feell well informed. See you all around.
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