about.html

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title: About
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<blockquote class="blockquote">
    <p>October 9, 2007 &ndash; <em>Team Fortress 2</em> was released to the public, at a price of $19.99 alone or $49.99 as part of <em>The Orange Box</em>. The game had taken a dramatic shift from the serious tone of its predecessors, adopting a cartoony style set in the 1960s, though it kept the class system. Eight years later, it's hard to believe that the game (which itself had been redeveloped several times for over eight years before its release) has continued to thrive. Since its release, it's seen hundreds of updates, become free-to-play, and remained as one of the most-played games in the world.</p>

    <p>I was not present for the beginning of this journey. My own piece of the tale began shortly after the game went free-to-play in the summer of 2011. Four years was still enough time to accumulate several fond memories of my own about the game &ndash; participating in the Steam Forums right before its fall from glory; administrating its unofficial server during its fall; discovering competitive through the <em>Tip of the Hats</em> inaugural event (and then playing with one of the stream players in newbie mixes the same night); accidentally finding a workaround to the biggest issue for TF2 broadcasts at the time; leading a team through a disastrous first season of ESEA Open... the list goes on and on.</p>

    <p>Four years has also been enough time for me to realize that the longevity of this game (and the source of much of its enjoyment) is based on one thing &ndash; the dedication of its community. Indeed, it's been a major part of my life over the past few years, and much of my involvement has been in what will be a vain attempt to give back to the community as much as I've gained from it and to live up to the many people I have come to admire...</p>

    <p>So, what is <em>Menn Among Mercs</em>? Simply put, it's my attempt to document the many people and groups that have poured their time and effort into the game, making it better for the millions of people who have played and participated over its lifetime. Unfortunately, I will probably never be able to remember everyone who has poured in their soul and made the game better as a result, and I regret deeply that this is the case. However, I must make it my mission to put forth my best attempt, and the writing of a thousand names begins with a single keystroke. In any case, this will be an evolving project, and I solemnly look forward to keep adding to it when I can.</p>

    <footer>tsc, Forward Command Post</footer>
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