Let me see:
I'll just say that among the games I've played for an extended period of time, I have to say League of Legends and Counter Strike (basically every version that was used for competitive play).
Counter Strike:
- Basically the first competitive video game i seriously invested to the point where fighting in money waged matches was one of the more common things me and an old crew did. 5v5 matches. Then joined in tournaments, won a couple but mainly on the backs of a really good team that i worked with, then new versions such as CS Source and eventually CSGO. I could have spent even more time playing Counter Strike professionally, earned more money doing what i do, but unfortunately i had CERTAIN FRIENDS who at one point inbetween my vacation periods, eventually introduced me to the world of DotA, and at 2010, League of Legends.. I still played Counter Strike professionally while casually enjoying League of Legends but as the CS scene in my country started to fade out in exchange for DotA and League, i had to choose something.
League of Legends:
- around 6 years and counting. Unfortunately, a really good friend of mine had to introduce this game to me since I didn't enjoy DotA that much and Pinoy Counter Strike wasn't exactly a profitable thing to invest on. I've played during the very early days of League much like that good friend of mine did but unlike him, I took Ranked way more seriously than he did and actually got me into very high elo, and when the Philippine server developed its own competitive scene in the game, i decided to be invested in that competitive scene. I joined up with an organization who i felt very invested with, had a team that was quite disciplined, we somehow matched well against some of the top dogs within our competitive scene, but unfortunately some changes in the metagame were starting to affect our team's playstyle and an unfortunate wrist injury made me unable to keep up with the strict training regiments that we had. I was benched understandably, but eventually made to step down because our organization didn't want to support a sub system between laners of different playstyles. They wanted a more consistent playstyle in the top lane (Tanky/utility instead of the carry based/win lane win game split pushing threat that I did) and with several roster changes to other positions because of talent acquisitions.
Thinking of my past experience as a pro and now enjoying my time as a filthy ranked casual, I reflect on the times that i had. I enjoyed every bit of it. I was able to do things that i liked doing but at the same time appreciate the strict training regiments that highly motivated organizations have to do to its main weapons - the players. Right now I'm teamless and I choose to be. I get people trying to talk to me that they wanna go pro as well as an alternative lifestyle and I keep telling em that its not as easy as you think. I've experienced what it feels like to earn some $$$ when you win, but obviously prize money won in tourneys doesn't exactly go to players first. Obviously. It sucks when your org actually delays the payment of your past services because of "financing issues" even if you've felt entitled for that on-time payment for basically carrying that team into where it was. It blows when team organizers start dropping talent that teammates were good friends that built synergy with, in exchange for theoretically "better" talent that would fit the metagame more but ultimately fail because team orgs often forget how to let people gel with each other's playstyles and personalities. But at least for a time being, it certainly did beat being in a lowly job that one probably took because it was of choice or worse, hell if you enjoy your typical job as a productive citizen, more power to you m8 and make sure not to forget to use my code, then we can slap each other with high fives and get some lovely dames to mess around with. And should i get well adjusted to my wrist injury maybe i could go back to playing competitively but I need to find a DIFFERENT game with a thriving scene. Most of my old teammates who I played League have already retired or are busy playing Overwatch and trying to build their competitive edge there, even my former CTs/Ts aren't playing as much as they should, and have also moved to Overwatch as their main competitive venture. I'm stuck playing League since its a game that I can still play with my wrist injury, and CSGO, well again, our country doesn't even have a talent pool for CSGO to try being teammates with, but its still fun to spend hours and hours per match planting bombs, rushing A or B, doing some ninja defuses and quickscopes despite the wrist injury.
Who's that typing in the chat about his fallings? Oh look, its the teamless PEEPEE C**mings.