The First Class - March/April 2004
[glow=gold,2,300]Friedrich Psitalon[/glow]
Thanks to MotownDennis for the interview/writeup. The Ladder as we know it would be much different without Friedrich Psitalon.
His footprints are everywhere. As a long-serving admin, he has arbitrated
countless disputes. He never backs away from making the tough decisions,
even when those decisions might not be popular. He has endured the grief
and abuse that sometimes go along with these decisions, but he persists for
the good of the Ladder.
As the moderator of our proboards, he strives to keep the forums a civil
place for everyone to share ideas and communicate. Again, this is a
thankless job that regularly draws abuse and criticism, yet F-P persists in
the face of it all. Many is the time when the forums would have degenerated
into an abyss of hot tempers, flaming, and hurt feelings if not for the
steady guiding hand of Friedrich.
As a player, Friedrich Psitalon set the standard for all future #1 players
with the longest continuous stay at #1 in the history of the Ladder. Even
over a year after he last occupied from the #1 spot, he is still one of the
most feared and respected players on the Ladder. Any conversation about the
best players undoubtedly includes his name - even among newer players who
weren't even around when he was #1.
Players with this type of skill usually guard their secrets carefully. Not
Friedrich. He is the foremost strategy writer of the Ladder and has posted
dozens of insightful articles on our proboards for both newer players and
seasoned vets alike. Fried is always willing to share tips and his guidance
has no doubt helped the Ladder retain many players who otherwise may have
left due to the frustration of losing.
Tireless worker, pioneer, teacher: Friedrich Psitalon leads the way into
the Civ3players Hall of Fame.[glow=gold,2,300]CanuckSoldier[/glow]
In every well-balanced group of leaders you must have one who is ultimately cool, dispassionate, analytical, and calm – someone who never ruffles and always offers the carefully pondered opinion. In the early days of the Civ3 Ladder, Canucksoldier was that voice. As an administrator, no one is more calm and methodical than Canucksoldier. Indeed, one of the most common compliments about Canucksoldier:
“I just can’t think of anything bad about the guy – not even one.”
In a community of such varied personalities, to hear that compliment over and over is an achievement indeed.
As a player, Canucksoldier is again known for his “hang in there and keep on plugging” attitude. Never has anyone ever known Canuck to give up, throw in the towel in anger, or start lashing out, no matter how bad the situation may be.
Finally, Canucksoldier can probably lay claim to a title few could dispute: chief of tech support for the ladder. Particularly in the ladder’s early days of Play The World when the game had more connectivity issues than connected games, Canuck’s calm, deliberate style of advice and “try, try again” kept people playing when otherwise computers (or at least CDs!) might have sailed out windows. Even to this day, if you’ve got a problem, Canuck is your odds-on favorite to know the solution….or know where to find it.
Moderator, motivator, technician: The ladder’s Hall of Fame wouldn’t be complete without Canucksoldier in the first class.[glow=gold,2,300]SirPartyMan[/glow]
As a phoenix rises from its own ashes, so did SPM – to that point a quiet and relatively laid-back administrator – rise to the occasion on a dark night in the ladder’s history. Since his bold step forward to become administrator of the reconstructed ladder, SPM has led the way with cool, calm demeanor that has earned him tremendous respect from all sides of the community. The administrator in charge of the CCC, SPM has the tough job of planning and compromising an excellent tournament in the face of intense clan loyalty and desire to win from all parties – a job in which he excels.
As the Head Administrator, SirPartyMan gets all the final calls. The buck truly stops here, and if an issue gets to SPM, it automatically means that it won’t be easy to resolve. Leading a group of administrators with widely varied viewpoints, background, and leadership styles, SPM personifies dignity, class, and tact – both in regards to administrators and with the player base as a whole.
As a player, SirPartyMan excels – he is a former #1 with a great deal of games played, winner of several tournaments, and writer of more than one excellent article for new players. Always willing to play under any circumstances, always willing to do his best, and always having a good time, SPM is a welcome face in any ladder game.
Many people don’t remember “SPM’s Saturdays” before he was the Head Admin, running tournaments everyone loved, and everyone could count on – but even then, SPM was a class act, running his tournaments with dignity and respect.
Phoenix, classy diplomat, honorable sportsman: SirPartyMan, one of the proud members of the first class of the Hall of Fame.[glow=gold,2,300]Motown Dennis[/glow]
“Motown gives the people what they want!” From his earliest days as a tournament director, Motown Dennis showed a certain flair for the job that still makes him nearly without peer even today. As one of the most productive tournament directors in ladder history, Motown Dennis has been there, done that, and been back again to tell you about it. His unique and innovative tourney ideas – “UU Madness” perhaps most famous amongst them – have brought ladder players great enjoyment, as well as spawning more ideas of their own.
As a player, Motown Dennis can claim to have one of the three longest stretches in the #1 position, unbroken, in ladder history. His “shut up and deal with it!” style of play and “never say die” attitude exemplify what it means to be a champion. Time and again Motown Dennis has shown the determination and resourcefulness needed to be considered among the ladder’s very best.
In his current tour as Head Tournament Director, Motown Dennis has ushered in a new era of tournament directors, providing the ladder with a growing number of exciting, enjoyable tournaments, and encouraged his tournament directors to take risks and try new things in the “Motown” style.
Innovator, challenger, champion: Motown Dennis is clearly deserving of his induction into the first class of the Hall of Fame.[glow=gold,2,300]WarningU2[/glow]
Anything great starts with a person and a vision. WarningU2 was that person, and his vision was to create the kind of ladder Civ3 deserved – a friendly, mature, compeititve and enjoyable environment. Starting with barely 11 members, WarningU2 brought the ladder to a behemoth 1200 members at its peak. WarningU2’s work was unquestionably the most difficult of all: making the decisions that formed the precedents – some of which we still follow to this day – establishing the system of administrative offices and duty-sharing, the levels of punishment for infractions, the advertising, the communication – everything that brought the ladder into being. Even after taking an extended personal vacation from ladder play and stepping down as Head Administrator, WarningU2 has made a point of getting re-involved, working tirelessly in some of the ladder’s most thankless jobs: forum maintenance, clan roster maintenance, and others. If SirPartyMan is to be considered the father of the modern ladder, WarningU2 is certainly the grandfather of it all. Every single detail of this ladder has his hand on it. Indeed, for many of us who have gotten deeply involved in the ladder, it might be said that WarningU2 changed the direction of (our recreational) lives.
Visionary, diplomat, workhorse: WarningU2 is truly deserving of his position in the cadre of the first class of the Civ3 Players Hall of Fame.
