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NOTE: All websites linked to below direct the viewer to older sites that have been archived through the internet for historical purposes. No new activity has occured on those sites sine July 2008 at most. If new activity occurs on those sites, be aware that it is not at the direction of the creators of the webiste, and appropriate action will be taken against the initiators of those actions.
How do I explain "Mudkipz United"... perhaps I should start from the beginning.
Around two years ago a group of Yu-Gi-Oh! players in Canberra, inspired somewhat by the US Shonen jump circuit and the performances of Teams like Team Overdose and Team YugiohETC, decided to form their own team. It was meant to be a small thing started by a group of friends. Soon a team was formed: Team Angel.
Originally there were six people, including Oblong and myself. Soon though, interest in joining was expressed from other people not entirely part of the original closely-knit group. However, in the interest of the game and because nothing seemed to be wrong with it at the time, those people were allowed to join. At this time the Team ran into its first problem. There was a well-known online Team at the time called "Angels of Light", and with plans to advertise the team on other forums I argued that a name change would better help us stand out in the crowd, so to speak. We polled up a few names, and a new team name was agreed on: The Syndicate.
After the move, everything went smoothly - people got on well, and new members were slowly introduced to the forum. Everyone seemed happy at the time, but already the first signs of trouble were brewing. Part of the member base, driven by three people were upset at a number of things, primarily with the slow expansion of the Team, the lack of actual representation at events, and the refusal by the site administrators to accept the memberships of certain people. The administrators and their base countered with the arguments that the slow development was related to the small size of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community in Canberra, the difficulty in assessing the skills of players wishing to join the Team (one of the original requirements was to enter a number of Regionals or other events and perform consistently well [top 8 places on a regular basis]), and the overall lack of communication between members outside the forum.
It all came to a head when a debate arose regarding the refusal by the administrators to accept the entry of one person based on that "he wasn't a good player" and that he was "annoying and spammy" on various forums. This led to a series of outbursts (some brimming with foul language or thinly veiled threats) by both sides, and the suspension for the three members who started the outbursts. Upset at the 'indignation' and 'lack of action against the administrators' the suspended members left The Syndicate and formed a new team: National Mudkipz (the link can be found on the Website links topic), while the original members created 'iWin' - the previous incarnation of this site.
I had tried to act as a moderator through the arguments, and deeply troubled by the lack of willingness on both parties to at least part peacefully (seriously, why can't we al get along?) I chose to remain neutral in the conflict, joining neither team at first. I eventually joined both Team forums to lend my assistance. However, disappointed by what I saw on both forums I chose to leave Yu-Gi-Oh! for a while. I stopped attending competitions, gave away most of my cards, and left the websites I once frequented.
Over time, I came to realise where the problem with lay - when I started playing there was an average player base of 16 people and a 'casual' level of play, even in tournaments. Because of the smaller number of players, I could learn from those people and abosrb information, and they could help me out to the best of their ability. Nowdays the average player base goes above 40 people, and a greater emphasis on the 'competitive' scene has seen a divide between those who had access to solid advice and whom learnt the ins and outs of the game, and those whom were left floundering about in the wide ocean of Yu-Gi-Oh! without anything to help them.
As such, I decided to 'hijack' iWin where I had Administrator access, and remodel it into what you see here. To me, iWin wasn't a statement of bragging rights (although it was intended as a jab at National Mudkipz); rather, it was a place where a new person who says to themselves "I want to get better at this game" could go to seek advice (primarily from myself) on any aspect of the game. As such, I decided to re-enter Yu-Gi-Oh! on a part time player basis, and instead offer my services as a guide to newer players, helping them to develop their skills and capabilities. Whilst I normally do so in person, lately I've found that an online sight might help me in the future, especially when I can't physically get to a competition and meet those whom might need the help.
As I slowly slowly built up iWin, the older members members of iWin returned to the tournament scene in various ways. Whilst they didn't mind the hijack, it was agreed on that the concept of iWin had long passed its time. Forumer was outdated as a forum network, and the site itself was balnd and unappealing. A fresh start for a new beginning was in order. This led to the creation of Mudkipz United - a strange name, but one that represented a sense of community between players old and new; something iWin could never quite achieve (perhaps it was the team slogan). Of course, it being Mudkips was also funny in itself. Choosing Mudkip as the face was linked to an internet meme which resonated with the site and player's casual and friendly approach to gaming; again, something iWin couldn't represent.
Of course, this can't be done without your help. Coming here and asking for help is one thing, but it is the act of helping someone else that is the true reward I personally seek. If someone asks for advice, give them an honest opinion. Develop your awareness of the Yu-Gi-Oh! game at large - it's not just played in Canberra, or even Australia. If someone provides you with advice because they think your deck is bad for some reason, always take it on the chin - they could actually be right. Even if you refer someone here because you don't know how to help them, that's still a form of helping them out.
All I ever ask for is that you repay one act of kindness with another, and another, and so on, and so forth.
In future, I hope to expand the site and player base to include the Pokemon TCG, a game I find is always interesting to play. Pokemon looks and feels similar to many other card games on the market, but the level of strategy and complexity that one can reach is so much deeper then most games. Perhaps with Pokemon it won't be so much me guiding people and more of a combined journey into the game.
How do I explain "Mudkipz United"... perhaps I should start from the beginning.
Around two years ago a group of Yu-Gi-Oh! players in Canberra, inspired somewhat by the US Shonen jump circuit and the performances of Teams like Team Overdose and Team YugiohETC, decided to form their own team. It was meant to be a small thing started by a group of friends. Soon a team was formed: Team Angel.
Originally there were six people, including Oblong and myself. Soon though, interest in joining was expressed from other people not entirely part of the original closely-knit group. However, in the interest of the game and because nothing seemed to be wrong with it at the time, those people were allowed to join. At this time the Team ran into its first problem. There was a well-known online Team at the time called "Angels of Light", and with plans to advertise the team on other forums I argued that a name change would better help us stand out in the crowd, so to speak. We polled up a few names, and a new team name was agreed on: The Syndicate.
After the move, everything went smoothly - people got on well, and new members were slowly introduced to the forum. Everyone seemed happy at the time, but already the first signs of trouble were brewing. Part of the member base, driven by three people were upset at a number of things, primarily with the slow expansion of the Team, the lack of actual representation at events, and the refusal by the site administrators to accept the memberships of certain people. The administrators and their base countered with the arguments that the slow development was related to the small size of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community in Canberra, the difficulty in assessing the skills of players wishing to join the Team (one of the original requirements was to enter a number of Regionals or other events and perform consistently well [top 8 places on a regular basis]), and the overall lack of communication between members outside the forum.
It all came to a head when a debate arose regarding the refusal by the administrators to accept the entry of one person based on that "he wasn't a good player" and that he was "annoying and spammy" on various forums. This led to a series of outbursts (some brimming with foul language or thinly veiled threats) by both sides, and the suspension for the three members who started the outbursts. Upset at the 'indignation' and 'lack of action against the administrators' the suspended members left The Syndicate and formed a new team: National Mudkipz (the link can be found on the Website links topic), while the original members created 'iWin' - the previous incarnation of this site.
I had tried to act as a moderator through the arguments, and deeply troubled by the lack of willingness on both parties to at least part peacefully (seriously, why can't we al get along?) I chose to remain neutral in the conflict, joining neither team at first. I eventually joined both Team forums to lend my assistance. However, disappointed by what I saw on both forums I chose to leave Yu-Gi-Oh! for a while. I stopped attending competitions, gave away most of my cards, and left the websites I once frequented.
Over time, I came to realise where the problem with lay - when I started playing there was an average player base of 16 people and a 'casual' level of play, even in tournaments. Because of the smaller number of players, I could learn from those people and abosrb information, and they could help me out to the best of their ability. Nowdays the average player base goes above 40 people, and a greater emphasis on the 'competitive' scene has seen a divide between those who had access to solid advice and whom learnt the ins and outs of the game, and those whom were left floundering about in the wide ocean of Yu-Gi-Oh! without anything to help them.
As such, I decided to 'hijack' iWin where I had Administrator access, and remodel it into what you see here. To me, iWin wasn't a statement of bragging rights (although it was intended as a jab at National Mudkipz); rather, it was a place where a new person who says to themselves "I want to get better at this game" could go to seek advice (primarily from myself) on any aspect of the game. As such, I decided to re-enter Yu-Gi-Oh! on a part time player basis, and instead offer my services as a guide to newer players, helping them to develop their skills and capabilities. Whilst I normally do so in person, lately I've found that an online sight might help me in the future, especially when I can't physically get to a competition and meet those whom might need the help.
As I slowly slowly built up iWin, the older members members of iWin returned to the tournament scene in various ways. Whilst they didn't mind the hijack, it was agreed on that the concept of iWin had long passed its time. Forumer was outdated as a forum network, and the site itself was balnd and unappealing. A fresh start for a new beginning was in order. This led to the creation of Mudkipz United - a strange name, but one that represented a sense of community between players old and new; something iWin could never quite achieve (perhaps it was the team slogan). Of course, it being Mudkips was also funny in itself. Choosing Mudkip as the face was linked to an internet meme which resonated with the site and player's casual and friendly approach to gaming; again, something iWin couldn't represent.
Of course, this can't be done without your help. Coming here and asking for help is one thing, but it is the act of helping someone else that is the true reward I personally seek. If someone asks for advice, give them an honest opinion. Develop your awareness of the Yu-Gi-Oh! game at large - it's not just played in Canberra, or even Australia. If someone provides you with advice because they think your deck is bad for some reason, always take it on the chin - they could actually be right. Even if you refer someone here because you don't know how to help them, that's still a form of helping them out.
All I ever ask for is that you repay one act of kindness with another, and another, and so on, and so forth.
In future, I hope to expand the site and player base to include the Pokemon TCG, a game I find is always interesting to play. Pokemon looks and feels similar to many other card games on the market, but the level of strategy and complexity that one can reach is so much deeper then most games. Perhaps with Pokemon it won't be so much me guiding people and more of a combined journey into the game.
