"When all is gone, we are all that is left" states the tagline of 'Enemy
Territory' clan Apocalypse.nl's website.
A tongue-in-cheek sentiment, which is unfortunately evolving daily into
a real possibility, as more multi-player games flood the online
markets.
Enemy
Territory, or ET, was originally released in May 2003 by
Activision and transformed the gaming scene overnight. A first-person
shooter game, it picked up where games such as 'Return to Castle
Wolfenstein' left off and best of all was 100% free to download and
play, enabling gamers of all ages and budgets to take part.
Clans quickly sprang up, taking advantage of the team-based aspect of
the game and leagues quickly followed. The most popular of which;
www.clanbase.com, instituted a number of national and international
'ladders' and cups where teams of 3 or 6 players competed against each
other for the top positions.
The popularity of ET, which reached its zenith in early 2004, began to
dwindle at the beginning of 2005. Rivals, such as 'World of Warcraft'
and 'Battlefield 2', lure gamers with improved graphics and advanced
game play, whilst still remaining true to the team play aspects which
so many gamers find appealing. Because of these and other new releases;
numbers of actively participating ET clans have almost halved in a time
span of less than 6 months.
A die-hard core is beginning to emerge. Clans and players who became
involved with the game at or around the time of its first appearance
and have remained as active in the years since.
Apocalypse.nl is itself the result of a merger of the remains of at
least 3 such clans and seems determined to never say 'Die'. Except
in-game of course, where they appear to lose far more often than they
win. Yet they continue to play for the sheer love of the game. As the
team has expanded, so too has their home site.
An amazing intro, which as well as amazing graphics, includes a brief
biography of all
members, leads into a well-maintained and obviously
well-cared-for website which is both user friendly and welcoming.
The clan forum is constantly busy and upbeat, proudly displaying the
results of visits by clan members and a wide range of 'outsiders'. Much
information about the clan, its members and Enemy territory is freely
on offer, which a wide range of expertise and advice from the members
themselves.
It isn't possible to say if their tagline will eventually be proved
correct, but at www.apocalypse.nl there is a sense of comradeship and
fun that will surely last for a very long time to come.