For those of you who don't know, I will be taking off from pretty much everything freelancer related on August 22nd; on August 13th, I leave for a road trip across my country (USA). (Will be discord only for that time.)
The next year will be extremely stressful for me without going into detail. If I do not reply to PMs and such during this time, or even ignore people when I am online once in a blue moon - this is why.
I really do love Freelancer, it has been my favorite game since I was a little kid. I don't want to abandon the community when I think it needs its senior members the most, but I have to make this leap of faith IRL right now. What happens in this next stage of my life really eludes me; all the other times in the past when I've had to take a break from gaming and such, I knew more or less when I would be able to get back into gaming. Now, I really do not. This may very well be the last forum thread I ever make, it may also not.
So in with that said, I feel like I should set the record straight on several things(brutally honest here). Leave recommendations and such, a lot of people who leave this community are either looking for attention or complain on their way out - or both.
I first found out about the game in 2014; I still remember this video by @sindroms that I followed to get started and play with everyone. Like a lot of players, I went through a phase of making stupid/silly/nonrp names, breaking local chat rules - you name it. I stumbled over myself for a long time, I remember getting pirated, seeing huge IMG convoys escorted by bounty hunters, and most of all - the old Magellan battles between GRN and BAF/LN. Those were really a sight to behold for a new player. There has been no game I've played in my life that has given me the kind of thrill and fun this game gave me when I first started playing. Seeing one of my favorite games come to life with other players was amazing.
The first person I ever met in discovery was @Thunderer, I remember talking to him for close to 5 days with the forum pm system before he finally convinced me to install skype and join up in his little BAF Auxiliary chat. (Yep, went through that phase too). Thunderer introduced me to a lot of the discovery community. Believe it or not, I was not a chatty cat when I first joined. I was a stupid teenager, but I focused a lot on making money and flying capital ships. I had not touched a snub at all since I was so taken back at the awesome fights between Dunkirks and Valors. (Old valor FG best FG)
@Thunderer made the mistake of setting me on the cap path, *Sidious voice* he taught me everything he knew. I pretty much just sat on the lessons he taught me, I used them to my advantage and quickly climbed up the imaginary ladder or people who thought they were "cap aces". It lasted for a while, but eventually I started to realize that snubs were the way to go.
@Sol Was my inspiration for flying snubs, seeing him topple an entire squad of [HF] on his hammerhead took me back so much. I wasn't good enough to join BHG| at the time so I joined another faction that flew hammerheads around sirius.
Core| did a lot more for me, @Lythrilux, Snoopy, and @Kauket were the first people I ever talked to on TeamSpeak. I remember also hearing Karst banning someone from a channel I was in; funny times. Most notably, though, Core had introduced me to (though he doesn't realize it) one of the most influential people in my time on Freelancer, @pillow who went by the name "Freedom Phantom" back then. Around when I met him is around the same time I started flying snubs ooc, my first snub fight ever was a massive Core raid on Gamma, same as my last fight, funnily enough.
In mid to late 2015 @pillow and I butted heads a lot; we did not get along at all. My attitude was probably at its worst then (not my decision-making, just attitude that part was still getting pretty bad). Somehow though, I don't remember exactly how, but we started getting along. This ties greatly into the next detail coming up.
RHA had voted to make me its 1ic in late 2015, it came as a big yikes moment to other OFLs at the time but it was pretty awesome to see become a reality from mine. The Jormungand was cooler as well with the old FG. Leading RHA really forced me to start taking my membership in Freelancer seriously (I'm sure evidence will contrast since I was still having fun at the time and a few years after ) but that's when it really started to kick in. What RHA really did to me, though, is force me to start paying attention to snub combat. I had no idea until I was made 1ic, but RHA historically was a very snub competitive faction; half of it was because of the Odin, the other half was because RM and Corsairs held playerbases with heated attitudes towards RHA (or so it seemed to me at the time).
MY GREATEST MISTAKE in my time on FL was following that tradition. Taking that part of faction-leading too seriously, made me obsess over story development, and obsess over pushing myself and the faction to topple all our opponents. While it was fun in some areas and even sorta healthy for RHA at times, I didn't know when to replace rivalry with compassion. RHA players had seen several RM players as toxic and vice versa. Evidence of past events and my unwillingness to calm down as tensions rose is a huge part of why RHA, a lot of the Rheinland lawful, and Corsair playerbases ran out of motivation to play like they used to. I will be the first to admit I could've done much much much better at pushing my faction but also supporting others. Hopefully, if you're reading this far in, you don't make the same mistakes I did. Story development and the need "to win" is not the do-all end-all of this game. If those people who were on the lawful and Corsair side at the time are watching, I am sorry for what it's worth.
Being woken up to the realities of snub pvp in discovery was a huge slap in the face. The learning curve then was much higher, and the top performers at the time were so competitive and obsessed over being the best on the server that getting to that point as a new player seemed extremely daunting. I think a huge part of the reason I got to where I am now in terms of snub pvp and how I managed to push RHA to sieging Core 5 pobs was because of my determination. @pillow had developed an obsession for improving with snubs as well, we were both two no names in the snub community on Freelancer trying to improve. We both went on to spend the next 4-5 months practicing non stop in conn every day. We broke down training with snubs to the most meticulous level possible. We spent days, even weeks at a time improving with every type of weapon (base on refire) until we both had a baseline level of skill that could topple the average player outside of conn.
To this day, @pillow has been a brick wall for me to fight against. I can never be certain how the fight is going to go when it starts. Fights that appear to be in his favor end with me winning and vice versa. If you look through my youtube channel, depictions of me fighting phantom are highlighted with thumbnails from crazy movie duels. The best way I would describe fights between me and phantom are probably in these two scenes:
It was like this in the beginning:
And it's like this now:
You could put either of us in the shoes of either character to be honest, that's about how well I could predict how things go now. I will miss @pillow a lot, he gave me a lot of reality checks when my attitude was off the rails, and helped me improve a ton now. Will miss you dude.
@Antonio helped keep me in check as well, we flew together a lot, though we saw a few things differently - it didn't stop us from having a lot of fun times together. I remember flying scorpion drones for the first time, the two of us raiding New London as a lynx duo. Most notably was during our first massive RHA fight against the RM in Dresden, I had no idea how to coordinate so many people other than to tell them all to shoot a target. I took forever to join the fight because I couldn't think of a character name, and so Anna Heinrich was born that day from name gen. I know we butted heads over bombers and such, still doesn't change all the fun I had - will miss you man.
@Chuba & @Traxit were two other newcomers to Freelancer around the time I was joining (I think?) we both learned differently and spent time with different groups of people. I think we got to know each other through core as well. Lots of fun times flying Aoi and goofing off in conn, all the best to you both.
In 2016, the outcast community had really taken a hit from its OF running the OC lore off the rails, essentially making them the 3rd nomad faction. @Backo @Shiki @Gagadug and I made L\-egion Maltesa. The first few Outcast raids we did with purely sabres were a blast, we got to the point where we could square up with GRN, and Core, which was awesome. I learned a lot from @Backo; his style of flying took me a long time to figure out. It was a fancy way of divebombing his opponent, he was so reckless with it that somehow it worked really well.
@Jayce & @"Omicega" were two really cool guys I met when I decided to join GRN| in 2016. Both of them were a part of their own crew, but they were still nice enough to let me tag along with them on Magellan raids. Seeing that conflict from the other side was awesome, and flying the old valor was addicting. @Jayce went on to let me tag along with him in LSF as well, over the years, I really have admired what him and John Wildkins have done to make the faction more appealing. specifically when jec handed out the tag pass to the entire community just to grind hours
@Kanzler Niemann & @Geoffacake for the help with RHA and the fun I had in BDM, making weapons specifically to harass @Mephistoles for abusing his fisheye on other players. Also to get back at him for being a lacking teammate in ME3 while me and @Nen carried the mantle. Will miss you guys.
@Durandal I know you poke in on the forums every now and then. If you see this, I am sorry for how I left things, man, all the ridiculous decisions I made in regards to story, all the things I said over balance. It was stupid; I was stupid for it. I hope at some point maybe you can come back to Freelancer and enjoy things as they are, as a normal player if nothing else. Hope everything in the future works out for you, dude, I know along with the bad times, there were also good times where we flew together as well.
@"Minx" you were a real wake-up call to pvp when I got unbanned in 2018. also a 300-ping cheating asain motherfucker It took me a long time to catch up, but you were always willing to practice with me. You are definitely one of the best people I have ever fought against, if anyone is going to figure out how to take things further now - it will probably be you if you continue to play.
@Rogue @Nazawo @Rax @Old Oak & @L1ght you are all some of the best people I have trained. You all went on to try and help others and encourage others to play snubs as well. I remember seeing each of you when you first started and where you are now. @Rogue may have left, but you all have done a fantastic job so far. If the community can recoil its player count, I think you guys will be the ones to teach the next generation. Will miss you all.
@Haste I know we might have butted heads at several points, but I always did look up to you. You probably have the most experience out of all the people who claim to be vets at this point. From the day I joined you were a big name amongst the snub community. You have a real talent for this game; even months apart, you can still come back and defeat the best of the best as you please. Practicing with you has taught me a lot; I wish I were on less of a high horse when I first started practicing with you. You were and still are one of the best people for this community (deving & playing). Best of luck to you in the future, man. add starkillers back into the game
There are so many people I could point out, but I'd be here all day. If I forget your name, please don't take it personally.
People say this game is at its last leg; I say otherwise. Public relations is something that brings the worst games to life years after they exist. @Hidamari said it best here. This, with a little positive reinforcement to new players, would really go a long way in helping the community thrive again. Newer games on their last leg now have a couple of hundred people, discovery needs a fraction of that number to be active again. I think you all can figure it out.
I will release a few anon vids on youtube I've had over the years; guides and last-minute things will come to light this next week. I wish this community the best, hope you all keep the fun in freelancer alive!
Sorry for tl dr and any grammar/spelling mistakes. I've been at this all morning.
Well man, we have not spend a lot of time together, but I wish you the best of luck for your trip and for whatever you will do with your life. Of course, it'll always be a thrill to have the "It's Wesker against us" feeling, if that ever happen again.
Wasn't expecting to see this tday, always thought you were on one of those famous breaks everyone takes. I will forever be grateful to you, cobalt, rax, wasser, lambda and rogue for teaching me snubs, though my calling was caps. RHA raids were fun times. Good luck & have fun on your road trip, Disco won't be going anywhere until you return.
We love you too friend, thank you for everything you have done for us! Wish you nothing but the best on your tour, we will be awaiting your return and fuck you for making me emotional.
) but that's when it really started to kick in. What RHA really did to me, though, is force me to start paying attention to snub combat. I had no idea until I was made 1ic, but RHA historically was a very snub competitive faction; half of it was because of the Odin, the other half was because RM and Corsairs held playerbases with heated attitudes towards RHA (or so it seemed to me at the time). ![[Image: P6DLUCr.png?4]](https://i.imgur.com/P6DLUCr.png?4)
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