Independent Hitmen
05-03-2008, 22:07
OOC: Firstly I would like to say that I know this isnt a post thats strictly relevant to this forum, but I've made 99% of my posts here so I'd like to post this one here as well.
Five Years on International Incidents; A slightly premature reflection
As the 23rd of March draws close again I was drawn to wondering why that date sprang to mind. Every year it is the same combination of knowing it should ring a bell but not quite remembering why. But then, during my normal morning routine (Wake up, lay in bed for a bit, get up, turn on the laptop, put some toast on, check the internet) I remembered. One of the corner stone’s of my daily student life will reach half a decade. The United States of Independent Hitmen has swallowed countless hours when I should have been doing other things, mostly writing essays, yet unlike many others (counter-strike, football manager, the odd love interest) it has stuck with me pretty constantly for five years. During that time I’ve grown from a 15yr old at an English private school into a 20yr old (2nd Year) History Student at UCL (not a huge change I know) but I’ve made over 3,500 posts here plus others on offsite forums directly related to this site.
Now I tried to come to the explanation of why I am still drawn to playing this ‘game’. Could it be my natural competitive nature? Well possibly, but not entirely...I haven’t engaged in a war or any other kind of RP on this for ages and my military knowledge has been slowly getting behind the times. Well could it be that I just love writing? Again it seems unlikely. Whilst I enjoy writing there are sometimes when I simply can’t be bothered or just don’t seem to have much time. A sense of loyalty? Whilst I have one it would only take a simple TG to Kilrany to stop my participation in the only serious RP I’m involved in.
In the end I’ve decided that I don’t know why I still play the game so religiously...checking the II forums at least three times a day and still spending ages deciding which of the answers to today’s issue that I will choose. It’s going to go down as one of life’s little mysteries. Like why I find Kiera Knightley so attractive, why they made so many Rocky films, or how Ian Balshaw was picked to start as England full back instead of Josh Lewsey.
I've started as several different nations during my career on NS, yet with the exception of one they have all fallen into disrepair and been deleted. Why do I stick with Independent Hitmen so much? I have no idea.... Perhaps its the people that Ive met using this account. In my five years I’ve seen a lot of good people come and go. And I don’t pretend to have been particularly active; I’m no AMF or Questers (or Hogsweat as I still think of him), neither am I a brilliant writer such as Aequatio, Stevid, The Macabees, McLeod 03, Kilrany, AMF, Azazia or any of the other multitude of talented people who contribute here. In my time I don’t think I’ve come into contact with more than a handful of disagreeable people. Some good friends have been on here and then disappeared into the winds of time; The Merchant Guilds, Athieiesm, HailandKill, Russian Forces, Dr_Twist and Intelligent Neighbours being just a few that spring to mind. New nations come along but for me there will always be that original group that I remember from my first Rp’s on these forums back when a crash would take it out of commission for a few hours each and every day. The NWO/NATO/RWC thrillers that gripped me back in Sixth Form at school, trying to get my school friends active in the game to bolster out numbers and maybe, just maybe, bring about something other than a huge clusterfu*k of a war. In the end I didn’t really have that much of an impact, but it was damn good stuff at the time. I was motivated as I rarely am to seek ways to outwit or outmanoeuvre other people, people who I mostly only knew through their in game personalities back then.
Trotting down memory lane I remember one of my first posts, what seemed like a heroic defence of a city in Sniper Country (I believe) by elements of the 8th (IH) Marine Division and the, quite originally named, aircraft carrier IHS Nimitz. It wasn’t good, in fact the last time I looked at it (before my last laptop had an incident with a bottle of wine), I thought it was jolly terrible. My writing hasn’t changed hugely since then, still a mix of Tom Clancy-esque trying to be detailed stats and a very poor development of characters. Sorry to those I’ve let down with late posts, poorly written posts, or just plain bad posts. I’m human; sometimes I screw up, sometimes I’m lazy and sometimes I just run out of talent.
So I’d like to take this time to recognise those of you who I have gained a friendship with, Stevid in particular, and wish all the best to all of the stalwarts of International Incidents and the newer guys that are here plying their trade. It’s a game that I seem to love playing and it’s as ingrained into me as breathing.
Feel free to comment on the ramblings of a University Student who’s found another way to avoid that essay whilst simultaneously enjoying himself. It’s been a great five years, I hope I get a job that allows me to continue with it for another five.
-James Anderson
(or as some of you may have known me; President James Anderson of the United States of Independent Hitmen, King Robert I of the Holy Empire of Abrams, Prince James of the Principality of James-, King Josiah of the House of James-, The Chairman of the Imperial Guardsman, or Strongbow Fitzgilbert of the Casiale Colony.)
Five Years on International Incidents; A slightly premature reflection
As the 23rd of March draws close again I was drawn to wondering why that date sprang to mind. Every year it is the same combination of knowing it should ring a bell but not quite remembering why. But then, during my normal morning routine (Wake up, lay in bed for a bit, get up, turn on the laptop, put some toast on, check the internet) I remembered. One of the corner stone’s of my daily student life will reach half a decade. The United States of Independent Hitmen has swallowed countless hours when I should have been doing other things, mostly writing essays, yet unlike many others (counter-strike, football manager, the odd love interest) it has stuck with me pretty constantly for five years. During that time I’ve grown from a 15yr old at an English private school into a 20yr old (2nd Year) History Student at UCL (not a huge change I know) but I’ve made over 3,500 posts here plus others on offsite forums directly related to this site.
Now I tried to come to the explanation of why I am still drawn to playing this ‘game’. Could it be my natural competitive nature? Well possibly, but not entirely...I haven’t engaged in a war or any other kind of RP on this for ages and my military knowledge has been slowly getting behind the times. Well could it be that I just love writing? Again it seems unlikely. Whilst I enjoy writing there are sometimes when I simply can’t be bothered or just don’t seem to have much time. A sense of loyalty? Whilst I have one it would only take a simple TG to Kilrany to stop my participation in the only serious RP I’m involved in.
In the end I’ve decided that I don’t know why I still play the game so religiously...checking the II forums at least three times a day and still spending ages deciding which of the answers to today’s issue that I will choose. It’s going to go down as one of life’s little mysteries. Like why I find Kiera Knightley so attractive, why they made so many Rocky films, or how Ian Balshaw was picked to start as England full back instead of Josh Lewsey.
I've started as several different nations during my career on NS, yet with the exception of one they have all fallen into disrepair and been deleted. Why do I stick with Independent Hitmen so much? I have no idea.... Perhaps its the people that Ive met using this account. In my five years I’ve seen a lot of good people come and go. And I don’t pretend to have been particularly active; I’m no AMF or Questers (or Hogsweat as I still think of him), neither am I a brilliant writer such as Aequatio, Stevid, The Macabees, McLeod 03, Kilrany, AMF, Azazia or any of the other multitude of talented people who contribute here. In my time I don’t think I’ve come into contact with more than a handful of disagreeable people. Some good friends have been on here and then disappeared into the winds of time; The Merchant Guilds, Athieiesm, HailandKill, Russian Forces, Dr_Twist and Intelligent Neighbours being just a few that spring to mind. New nations come along but for me there will always be that original group that I remember from my first Rp’s on these forums back when a crash would take it out of commission for a few hours each and every day. The NWO/NATO/RWC thrillers that gripped me back in Sixth Form at school, trying to get my school friends active in the game to bolster out numbers and maybe, just maybe, bring about something other than a huge clusterfu*k of a war. In the end I didn’t really have that much of an impact, but it was damn good stuff at the time. I was motivated as I rarely am to seek ways to outwit or outmanoeuvre other people, people who I mostly only knew through their in game personalities back then.
Trotting down memory lane I remember one of my first posts, what seemed like a heroic defence of a city in Sniper Country (I believe) by elements of the 8th (IH) Marine Division and the, quite originally named, aircraft carrier IHS Nimitz. It wasn’t good, in fact the last time I looked at it (before my last laptop had an incident with a bottle of wine), I thought it was jolly terrible. My writing hasn’t changed hugely since then, still a mix of Tom Clancy-esque trying to be detailed stats and a very poor development of characters. Sorry to those I’ve let down with late posts, poorly written posts, or just plain bad posts. I’m human; sometimes I screw up, sometimes I’m lazy and sometimes I just run out of talent.
So I’d like to take this time to recognise those of you who I have gained a friendship with, Stevid in particular, and wish all the best to all of the stalwarts of International Incidents and the newer guys that are here plying their trade. It’s a game that I seem to love playing and it’s as ingrained into me as breathing.
Feel free to comment on the ramblings of a University Student who’s found another way to avoid that essay whilst simultaneously enjoying himself. It’s been a great five years, I hope I get a job that allows me to continue with it for another five.
-James Anderson
(or as some of you may have known me; President James Anderson of the United States of Independent Hitmen, King Robert I of the Holy Empire of Abrams, Prince James of the Principality of James-, King Josiah of the House of James-, The Chairman of the Imperial Guardsman, or Strongbow Fitzgilbert of the Casiale Colony.)