As I scythed through Ronner's front door to meet amoung other people the Idle.ee team, I had no idea of some of the bombshells of information that were going to land right in front of me that very night. Perhaps it was knowing that here were players who had won a EuroCup and Quakecon twice; a team with nothing to prove and nothing left to win.
There is little doubt that since the departure of Parodia from the ET scene, Idle have comfortably laid claim to top spot, creating a brand which is both feared by their opponents and yet respected by all, and whose stability has been such a breath of fresh air in what can rightfully be described as a turbulent game. Yet the Idle flagship is not sailing into calm waters. The loss of their CoD2, Q4, WC3 and most importantly their hugely impressive CS squad has come as a major blow to this proud multi-gaming establishment, who have always demanded to by judged solely on the quality of their results. Despite being the jewel in the Estonian's crown, the ET squad does not have a clear future in front of it. That is not to say the desire is not still there: most people will give their bottom teeth to be in a position of almost guaranteed prizemoney from the ever increasing list of big-money events ET suddenly has to offer. No. It's time to unearth the Idle revelations.
Revelation #1:
Galahad's departure.
That's correct, the CPC lan was galahad's last official Idle engagement as he seeks to move on to pastures new, quoting the loss of other Idle teams and their demands as key reasons for this decision. I remember him using the words "tired of" several times, tired of unreliable actions, of the whole ever changing, ever evolving world that is online gaming. He is keen to stress that the whole gaming ethos was not the crucial swinging point of the decision; he is mature and sensible enough to realise that such things are just part of the nature and fabric of gaming. By moving on, galahad will have the opportunity to achieve what he, and he alone really wants, without restraint: "I dont want to keep pushing the toothpaste back to the tube for ever". Galahad has been one of the key reasons for Idle's massive success. His departure will come as a huge blow to the team on every level, from support and guidance to his simple presence, this is not something that Idle could ever wish for. It is testament to his belief and hard work that the management team the clan has assembled is second to none, including figures such as Frop, zjablizz, erral, outcast, pusKar, and more, with whom the clan should achieve a continued safe and fruitful passage.
Revelation #2: Holz leaves the team.
Holz has been in idle since 2003, when he was in the idle side that played in rtcw.no alpha, and if he had the choice, Crossfire's favourite mule would certainly continue playing for the black, blue and white of his country. Yet the de rigeur of Estonian life has come calling, and now Holz must serve a compulsory 8-month stint in the army, going through gruelling training and of course 6am mornings. And what would he do when the time was over, I asked him. "Probably not go back to ET", came the reply, and the reason? "8 months is a long time, things change, I might play something else". Whatever his choice, Holz made it clear that Wolfenstein was the first and only game he has ever played (RTCW/ET), and it remains fond in his heart. The break in gaming for the army serves as a sabatical which cannot be avoided, but which might also prove just the medicine the doctor ordered.
Revelation #3: r3vers returns to action?
Holz's sabatical will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the idle heart, and one that cannot be left unplugged. Whilst Parodia quit at the top of their game, they did so with Idle challenging, but Idle have the luxury of no immediate rivals to threaten them, and why stop their tradition of winning? r3vers is a player who has been there, done that, and won the competitions, all whilst in the u96d/idle shirt. Very few people are in the position of being able to fill the legacy of Holz, and even fewer eye-to-eye, with r3vers specializing in the very weapon which earnt his nickname, "r3vers the riflenade". It would be unfair and not the time to discuss who is the better player, but certainly the pedigree of both the player and the team is enough to ensure this period of transition might as well not be happening at all, such is the minimum of disturbance it should cause. Whilst r3vers has not yet been confirmed as Holz's replacement for certain, all sources are pointing towards this being the case, at the moment.
Are idle on the verge of implosion? Not anytime soon they aren't!
There is little doubt that since the departure of Parodia from the ET scene, Idle have comfortably laid claim to top spot, creating a brand which is both feared by their opponents and yet respected by all, and whose stability has been such a breath of fresh air in what can rightfully be described as a turbulent game. Yet the Idle flagship is not sailing into calm waters. The loss of their CoD2, Q4, WC3 and most importantly their hugely impressive CS squad has come as a major blow to this proud multi-gaming establishment, who have always demanded to by judged solely on the quality of their results. Despite being the jewel in the Estonian's crown, the ET squad does not have a clear future in front of it. That is not to say the desire is not still there: most people will give their bottom teeth to be in a position of almost guaranteed prizemoney from the ever increasing list of big-money events ET suddenly has to offer. No. It's time to unearth the Idle revelations.
Revelation #1:
Galahad's departure. That's correct, the CPC lan was galahad's last official Idle engagement as he seeks to move on to pastures new, quoting the loss of other Idle teams and their demands as key reasons for this decision. I remember him using the words "tired of" several times, tired of unreliable actions, of the whole ever changing, ever evolving world that is online gaming. He is keen to stress that the whole gaming ethos was not the crucial swinging point of the decision; he is mature and sensible enough to realise that such things are just part of the nature and fabric of gaming. By moving on, galahad will have the opportunity to achieve what he, and he alone really wants, without restraint: "I dont want to keep pushing the toothpaste back to the tube for ever". Galahad has been one of the key reasons for Idle's massive success. His departure will come as a huge blow to the team on every level, from support and guidance to his simple presence, this is not something that Idle could ever wish for. It is testament to his belief and hard work that the management team the clan has assembled is second to none, including figures such as Frop, zjablizz, erral, outcast, pusKar, and more, with whom the clan should achieve a continued safe and fruitful passage.
Revelation #2:
Holz leaves the team. Holz has been in idle since 2003, when he was in the idle side that played in rtcw.no alpha, and if he had the choice, Crossfire's favourite mule would certainly continue playing for the black, blue and white of his country. Yet the de rigeur of Estonian life has come calling, and now Holz must serve a compulsory 8-month stint in the army, going through gruelling training and of course 6am mornings. And what would he do when the time was over, I asked him. "Probably not go back to ET", came the reply, and the reason? "8 months is a long time, things change, I might play something else". Whatever his choice, Holz made it clear that Wolfenstein was the first and only game he has ever played (RTCW/ET), and it remains fond in his heart. The break in gaming for the army serves as a sabatical which cannot be avoided, but which might also prove just the medicine the doctor ordered.
Revelation #3:
r3vers returns to action?Holz's sabatical will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the idle heart, and one that cannot be left unplugged. Whilst Parodia quit at the top of their game, they did so with Idle challenging, but Idle have the luxury of no immediate rivals to threaten them, and why stop their tradition of winning? r3vers is a player who has been there, done that, and won the competitions, all whilst in the u96d/idle shirt. Very few people are in the position of being able to fill the legacy of Holz, and even fewer eye-to-eye, with r3vers specializing in the very weapon which earnt his nickname, "r3vers the riflenade". It would be unfair and not the time to discuss who is the better player, but certainly the pedigree of both the player and the team is enough to ensure this period of transition might as well not be happening at all, such is the minimum of disturbance it should cause. Whilst r3vers has not yet been confirmed as Holz's replacement for certain, all sources are pointing towards this being the case, at the moment.
Are idle on the verge of implosion? Not anytime soon they aren't!
