Difference between revisions of "Norway"
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| − | Quake II was released in February, but ended up as a disappointment, unable to match the gameplay experience of its predecessor. Other FPS games like Half-Life and Unreal also tried, and failed, to push Quake from its throne as the number one online game. QuakeWorld, which really | + | Quake II was released in February, but ended up as a disappointment, unable to match the gameplay experience of its predecessor. Other FPS games like Half-Life and Unreal also tried, and failed, to push Quake from its throne as the number one online game. QuakeWorld, which had really taken off the previous fall, was developed with new features like [[Kombat Teams]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Arena Rocket Arena], new [[spawn modes]] and the [[Qizmo]]-proxy. |
| − | The new «super clan» [[Game Over]] dominated the Norwegian scene, including the new [[Norwegian Clan League]] and existing leagues like [[AFITD]] and [[AFTP]]. Previous attempts at making a Nordic league had been unsuccessful due to high ping and connection issues between boarders, but with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Services_Digital_Network ISDN] | + | The new «super clan» [[Game Over]] dominated the Norwegian scene, including the new [[Norwegian Clan League]] and existing leagues like [[AFITD]] and [[AFTP]]. Previous attempts at making a Nordic league had been unsuccessful due to high ping and connection issues between boarders, but with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Services_Digital_Network ISDN]s replacing more and more modems it was possible to get pings close to 100 on servers abroad. Thus, during the summer of 1998, plans for a Nordic league was in the making. |
| − | + | [[North-European Clan League]] began in October. NECL was the biggest tournament this year, featuring all the best North-European clans. The top division was won by [[Image:flag_fi.gif]] [[Clan Z]], but the Norwegians did good, with [[Image:flag_no.gif]] [[Game Over]] and [[Image:flag_no.gif]] [[The Vicious Vikings]] finishing 2nd and 3rd - beating clans like [[Image:flag_se.gif]] [[Orkney Clan]], [[Image:flag_de.gif]] [[Schroet Kommando|Schröet Kommando]], [[Image:flag_dk.gif]] [[Nasty Beasts Inc]], [[Image:flag_se.gif]] [[Medieval Spawns]], [[Image:flag_uk.gif]] [[Demonic Core]], [[Image:flag_se.gif]] [[Teddy Bears]] and [[Image:flag_se.gif]] [[Wrecking Crew]]. | |
Another big league, [[Heroes]], was also started this year, for Nordic clans only, and also won by [[Image:flag_fi.gif]] [[Clan Z]]. As archives are poor, it is unknown if this was the successor og predecessor to [[NECL]]. | Another big league, [[Heroes]], was also started this year, for Nordic clans only, and also won by [[Image:flag_fi.gif]] [[Clan Z]]. As archives are poor, it is unknown if this was the successor og predecessor to [[NECL]]. | ||
Revision as of 19:33, 13 February 2014
- Categories: Norwegian Players | Norwegian Clans | Norwegian National Team
- Famous clans: Game Over | Spawn Clan | The Vicious Vikings | The Axe Men
History
The early history of Norwegian Quake, written by Erlend.
Quake was eagerly awaited and quickly attracted a Norwegian following after its release in June 1996. Home computers and Internet access being fairly common by those days' standards, Norway was a dominant part of the European Quake scene from day one, along with Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
The first few years, clan matches were decided on aggregate score after two freely chosen maps. The TB3-maps DM3 and DM2 quickly became the most popular, but E1M3 was actually more common than E1M2. Other regular choices was E3M3 and E3M7, while the occasional match was played on E1M1, E1M5, E2M1, E3M2 and E3M6. E4M3 is also worth mentioning, a map Norwegian clan The Vicious Vikings made their own. Though hard to picture today, 4on4 matches were also played on DM6 and DM4 (!).
Connection issues and huge ping differences were not uncommon, according to early match logs. Servers were often changed at «half-time» to even out the disadvantages. Thus, winning 100-30 at home could easily be followed by losing the away map by similar figures. As there were few clans, LPB and HPW teams regularly played each other, despite the unfair conditions.
1996
The first Norwegian clan, The Vicious Vikings, was formed in August 1996. Spawn Clan and Carnage Clan (known as Cyber Quakers in 1996) quickly followed. The trio established themselves as the top Norwegian clans, and Carnage Clan was soon considered as one of the best - if not the best - LPB clan in Scandinavia.
It took about a month before the Quake scene was big enough for matches to be regularly played. The first Norwegian clan match was played October 5th between The Vicious Vikings and The Lost Vikings (the vicious ones won). The Norwegians often had to look abroad for opponents, and The Vicious Vikings and Spawn Clan played legendary clans like Teddy Bears, Swedish Chefs, Crusaders and Nasty Beasts Inc during the fall of 1996.
In November 1996, the clan ranking page A Frag in the Darkness was started, which soon became a meeting point for Nordic clans and one of the biggest Quake pages in Scandinavia for the next couple of years.
1997
This was the year leagues and tournaments became professionalized. What A Frag in the Darkness had started the previous fall, now really took off with sites like the duel ladder Scandinavian Mighty Ones, the clan rating site Automatic for the People and the Norwegian Quake League, a national league like in Sweden and Denmark. News and community sites like FragZone and Blue's News became popular. These sites and leagues spawned a lot of activity, and a lot of new players and clans joined the scene.
The first of a series of ten AskerLANs were held in February. These LAN-parties were a huge success and became the heart of the Norwegian Quake scene for the next couple of years. The best Norwegian players were always present, with Stalin and Sectopod battling for the title as Norway's number one.
1997 was also the first year for national teams. Norway had an LPB team and a HPW team, and played against Sweden, Denmark and Finland on various occasions from early 1997 and on. The Swedes conquered the title as best country.
Scandinavia's first all-female Quake clan, Sisters in Quake, was formed during the fall. The strange phenomenon of clans purely for fakenickers also emerged this year. An explanation could be that several Norwegian clans had become so big there simply wasn't enough game time for everyone. Thus, clans like Ernie Killers, Mikke Mus Klan and later on Rectum Intruders could have been an opportunity for players to finally get some 4on4 action.
Three of Norway's top clans were dissolved in November. It started when several of the top players of Carnage Clan, Spawn Clan and Insomnia all left their clans to form the new clan Game Over. Shortly after, the players they had left behind also formed new clans, like The New Breed and 7th Sphere, though several of them would also end up in Game Over eventually.
In retrospect, the biggest change of 1997 was QuakeWorld. Though released in December 1996, it wasn't until the summer before the majority started to make the transition to QW.
1998
Quake II was released in February, but ended up as a disappointment, unable to match the gameplay experience of its predecessor. Other FPS games like Half-Life and Unreal also tried, and failed, to push Quake from its throne as the number one online game. QuakeWorld, which had really taken off the previous fall, was developed with new features like Kombat Teams, Rocket Arena, new spawn modes and the Qizmo-proxy.
The new «super clan» Game Over dominated the Norwegian scene, including the new Norwegian Clan League and existing leagues like AFITD and AFTP. Previous attempts at making a Nordic league had been unsuccessful due to high ping and connection issues between boarders, but with ISDNs replacing more and more modems it was possible to get pings close to 100 on servers abroad. Thus, during the summer of 1998, plans for a Nordic league was in the making.
North-European Clan League began in October. NECL was the biggest tournament this year, featuring all the best North-European clans. The top division was won by 
Clan Z, but the Norwegians did good, with 
Game Over and The Vicious Vikings finishing 2nd and 3rd - beating clans like 
Orkney Clan, 
Schröet Kommando, 
Nasty Beasts Inc, Medieval Spawns, 
Demonic Core, Teddy Bears and Wrecking Crew.
Another big league, Heroes, was also started this year, for Nordic clans only, and also won by Clan Z. As archives are poor, it is unknown if this was the successor og predecessor to NECL.
1999
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Few new clans, but still very active year
Quake III Arena test-released in May. Methos: Downloading of the most anticipated game since Quake, slows the internet to a crawl for days to come.
17th May: First Norwegian Q3A match, GO vs VV
Quake 3: Arena released worldwide on December 5th, 1999
VV arguably 3rd best clan in Northern Europe
Lot of players moving on to CS and Q3A
NECL 2nd season canceled. QW scene in decline.
Rapture 99: July 26th, 1999, Scotland. Duel: 1 Kane DE, 2. Timber UK, 3 Nikodemus SE, 4. Griff DE. TDM: 1. Euro Selects (Kane, DOOMer, Blitzer, Cable) 2. North America (Batch, Pure, Gemini, Genocide)
More to follow...
2000s
|
Feb 2001: For the first time in almost five years, neither Quake, QW, Quake2 or Q3A is the top online game. The Half-Life add-on called Counter-Strike is the number 1. It's popularity will continue to grow.
Norwegian scene consists of The Chosen One & ex-Game Over's
2008: The Axe Men 2.0
Challenge Smackdown (2000)
Duelmania (2001)
Demos
Achievements
- 2009: 4th in Quake Nations Cup
Servers
Qizmo
- Catch-Gamer Qizmo - 193.69.8.153:27500 (32 slots)