Cyberathlete Professional League: CPL Event, July 21 – 26, 1998

The main focus of this site is the upcoming CPL Event which will take place in a 12,500 sq. ft. conference room at the Infomart.  With T-3 Internet connection available to everyone attending, a Cisco Catalyst 5000 switch to manage the entire LAN and several redundant high-end servers, this event will offer one of the most sophisticated LAN setups ever developed for a gaming event.

This action packed event will host an official CPL one-on-one Quake® tournament in which 256 of the best players in the world will compete to win a $3,000 endorsement from Babbage’s and Software, Etc. and various software and hardware prizes.  The event will host several other game competitions, like FFA / CTF / 1-on-1 Quake®, Quake II®, Unreal®, Forsaken®, Starcraft® and Total Annihilation®.  The event will also have a number of software and hardware developers exhibiting their latest products and a few exhibitors are planning to unveil new products at the event.  Also, courtesy of the QuakeCon Organization, the event will offer workshops and conferences hosted by some of the most influential personalities in the industry.

The attendance of this event is expected to be between 600 and 700 people from all over the world. General admission for the four day event is $15. Click here to register.  To view a list of people that have already registered visit this page.

If you can not attend,  the official CPL news sites will be reporting live. To enhance your web viewing experience the following alternative viewing options will also be available  QuakeTV,  CuSeeme broadcast, live cast and live cam broadcast.  There is also a documentary being filmed at the event called The Cyberathlete.  So you may even catch it on television someday.

But, why stay home?  Be part of what certainly will be the best gaming event of the year. 

Join the fun!

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https://web.archive.org/web/19981202004627/http://cpl.cyberathlete.com:80/about.shtml

J u l y  26 [presented in reverse chronological order]

 

12:05pm CT

While not quite an upset, but definitely a surprise, Rix just defeated Gollum in a smartly played 10 to 5 final match. Listen to the reactions of both players here (Streaming). Or download it.

A complete list of tournament prizes can be found here.

11:10am CT

The consession matches are done, with Krave defeating sCary 10 to 6 for fifth place. In a great, back-and-forth match, Lord Vader topped Apocalypse 8 to 4 for third. The match started with Apocalypse taking control of the rocket launchers on DM2. “He runs the rocket launchers on that map like no one I have ever seen,” commented Lord Vader. “He times them perfectly.” Lord Vader said the turn around in the match came when he logged a spawn frag, then Apocalypse took a dive into the map’s notorious lava. That changed the momentum, and Apocalypse never recovered. He did, however, place higher than any other non-CPL player, and was roundly praised by league members. “I am very disappointed in my performance,” he sighed. “I thought I would place higher.” Still, this was his first live tournament, and gitters that affect the outcome of the game are to be expected. We are looking forward to seeing more of this fine performer in future tournaments.

10:15am CT

For some, getting to this event was as simple as driving a few miles. For others, a longer drive or a short flight was required. But for Kamyl Ruszkowski, a 23-year-old economics student from Warsaw, Poland, the trek was a bit longer. Kamyl, who writes part-time for a computer gaming magazine called Reset, is “the man” in Poland’s Quake scene, and it has always been his dream to circle the globe and take part in one of the large, LAN-based CPL events.

“I wanted to see and play against all the stars who are so well known in Poland from their demos and from taking part in events like The FRAG and M3,” he said. Although the gaming community in Poland is not as developed as in the United States or other areas in Europe, Kamyl was able to secure sponsorship through his magazine and a second publication called Chip, a German computer magazine. He then e-mailed Jerry Wolski, one of the event organizers who came to the states from Poland in 1991, to make final arrangements.

Kamyl did participate in the official Quake tournament, and was doing well until he drew Gollum in the third round. The final score in their match, however, was nothing to sneeze at. Kamyl received congratulations from his opponent and several other CPL star players after losing with a score of just 5 to -2. “I was very pleased to be able to hold him to five frags,” he said with pride. Since his ousting from the official tournament, Kamyl has been tearing it up in the unofficial Quake II tournament. He also noted, with a wide smile, that his first day included a visit to ION Storm, where he was able to meet one of his heros, game designer John Romero.

Would he cross ocean and land again to participate in a similar event? While Kamyl laments the fact that ticket prices are prohibitive, the idea of competing against the top players and being a part of the larger Quake community is very enticing. “I have had a blast, and it has been a dream come true,” he smiled. “I would love to do this again.”

Here are some reactions to the event from people who spent their time on the massive recreational LAN:

Tracy from Orange, TX: The organization is much better than last year. Plus, I like the fact that computer gaming is being raised to a professional level. It used to be video games were just for twelve-year-olds, and it’s getting a lot more intense. Gaming is an important part of the computer industry, and this is a great way to get the younger generation involved with what is going on.

Kevin from Ontario, Canada: The only thing that bothers me about this event is that the star players seem to be hanging on to Quake. The main tournament should have been switched over to Quake II. I think the players are afraid they might not be as good at Quake II as they are at Quake, but it should never be Quake again for these tournaments.

Louis from Dallas, TX: This is the best LAN party I have ever been to. When you are on the net it is just you, and you don’t really know who you are playing. You are never face-to-face with them. But here, when you play against someone, you get to meet them and find out about the personality behind the character. It gives the game an element of realism you just can’t get online.

Jim from St. Louis, MO: This event is far more organized than The FRAG. They were much more prepared this time, and that impressed me. I was also impressed with the sponsors, because the tournament machines and network hubs were provided for us, whereas last year the organizers were begging people to bring equipment.

J u l y  25

8:45pm CT

The cast has been set for the final match! In an overpowering performance, Rix defeated sCary 22 to 5, dominating the match from start to finish. sCary never showed signs of life, though he did complain of lag well into the game. Rix’s victory places two star CPL players in the final match. He and Gollum will face off after the consession rounds tomorrow afternoon. Our coverage will start again tomorrow afternoon, with a complete tournament update and reactions from some of the gamers who spent their time on the recreational LAN.

8:44pm CT

7:53pm CT

Shots of the Cisco Catalyst 5000 Switching System that helps direct the millions of bits flowing between all the tournament computers.

6:35pm CT

The force was with Gollum in his see-saw semi-final match against Lord Vader. The tournament favorite won the game with a score of 8 to 6. Gollum started out controlling the board with a score of 3 to 0, but Lord Vader rallied and secured a lead of 6 to 3. Not to be outdone, Gollum, who claimed to be nervous “before, during, and up the final second,” turned it up to knock down his opponent in the closing minutes. Both players displayed an incredible amount of concentration and control throughout the tense match. Lord Vader, who declared himself an underdog at the start of the tournament, has improved greatly since The FRAG, when he was handed an overwhelming defeat at the hands of Gollum. After watching this suspenseful match, all we can say is, “There is nothing like face-to-face professional gaming.” It is intense.

5:55pm CT

sCary is in the final four after handily defeating gunpwdr 22 to 5. Rix edged out Apocalypse 5 to 4 in a tense, defensive match on DM6, clearing his way into the final four. Said a relieved Rix, “I was just feeling out his tendencies at first, peaking around corners and seeing if he would be able to tag me from his position. I realized I had an advantage on the backside of the map, concentrated on getting 200 health and 200 armor, and was more careful to keep that than kill him. I then reversed my runs and was able surprise him near the end.” It was a good win for Rix, who had to come back from a 5 to 1 deficit. He was helped by a spawn frag that brought him within one, and a suicide frag that dropped Apocalypse’s score to four. Strong showings from sCary and Apocalypse in this tournament is proof that this event is about the Quake community as a whole, not just the CPL players.

4:55pm CT

We will soon have a final four for the winner’s bracket. Already in are Gollum, who blasted Kiljoy into the loser’s bracket in a 24 to 7 match, and Lord Vader, who defeated batch 23 to 13. Gollum and Lord Vader will be competing against each other for a berth in the final match. Apocalypse and Rix will be battling each other for a spot in the final four, as will gunpwdr and sCary. This will be Apocalypse’s first tough match in the tournament. “We did not seed Apocalypse higher because he does not have past tournament experience,” tournament organizer Mike Wardwell explained. “His match against Rix will be telling.”

4:00pm CT

Wow! The best match of the tournament just ended with sCary besting Thorn in a 13 to 12 DM4 match. With less than one minutes left, the score was tied at 13 to 13 when Thorn dove into the lava, boiling off one frag from his total count. Dozens of spectators yelled out, then burst into applause as the final seconds counted down. The match started with sCary taking a fast 6 to 0 lead, then maintaining his momentum to secure a 12 to 6 lead mid-match. Thorn had stormed back to tie the match with less than one minute left when he took the fateful dive. When asked how he felt following the game, sCary simply said, “Holy sh*t!” He said he won by learning Thorn’s patterns early in the match. “I would listen for him to grab the armor, count to five, then attack,” he explained. “It swung the match in my favor.” sCary’s next opponent is Lord Vader, so he might soon be repeating his expletives for a different reason.

2:55pm CT

The first results are in with no surprises. Gollum owned blueseed in a 21 to 0 faceoff, Kiljoy knocked leprechaun into the losers bracket with 12 to -1 score, Lord Vader continued to gain momentum with a 32 to 4 victory over Creep, and batch, who some claim will win the official tournament, defeated Krave 15 to 4.

2:50pm CT

The 16-player matches have begun! Stay connected for results!

1:04pm CT

The Screwdrive vs. Apocalypse match is complete, with Apocalypse coming out on top 16 to 5. It was a tough call for tournament officials, but instead of restarting the match as we reported earlier, the match was picked up at the point at which it was left off with the same frag count and the respawn set to automatic. Although Apocalypse lost his rockets and armor when the match restarted, he was able to gain momentum and handed Screwdrive a painful thrashing. According to officials, the server setting for the five second auto-respawn was not set before the match. When Screwdrive was killed, he decided to wait five seconds and let the auto-respawn take him back into the game, but discovered he could instead sit on his 2 to 1 lead. Screwdrive claims he lost his mindset, which had given him the lead, when the match was restarted. The pause also gave Apocalypse, who was favored to win and was thrown off at the start of the match, the chance to recover. When asked if he agreed with the decision to pause, then restart the match, Screwdrive fired off a resounding, “No!”

On a more encouraging note, non-CPL player Apocalypse, one of the better known and more talented players in the Internet community, is doing well. This is his first official tournament, and although he claims he is “playing nervous” and is feeling a lot of pressure, his performance and execution thus far has taken him into the 16-player bracket. Despite being the one non-CPL player in a position to compete for top honors, his one hope is not to win, but just to compete against Gollum. “He is the one player at the tournament I have been looking forward to playing,” he said. If Apocalypse can survive his next three matches, which could include runs against top CPL-contenders Thorn, Rix, and Lord Vader, he will have his wish.

11:50am CT

A bump in the proceedings just took place in the match between Screwdrive and Apocalypse. After Screwdrive took the lead 2 to 1 eleven minutes into the match, he discovered the game was not set to auto-respawn. As opposed to manually respawning, he instead chose not to respawn and said, “You might as well declare me the winner right now.” Rix, who saw the incident, said, “This should not be happening.” According to the match referee, the Clanring MOD being used is 3.4, an older version he admits is buggy, but claims is what the players want. According to CPL star player Thorn, players have concerns about lag in version 4.0. Tournament officials have decided to replay the entire 20-minute match.

The lunch bell has rang and no further matches will take place until 1:30 CT. The rest of the 64-player brackets and match demos will be posted soon.

11:50am CT

A number of matches have been set for the 16-player bracket. Going up against #1 seed Gollum is #16 blueseed, #8 leprechaun will be battling #9 Kiljoy, and #4 Lord Vader will be taking on non-CPL competitor Creep, who handed Kornelia her walking papers last night in a painful 10 to -4 match. Lord Vader, who says he is feeling “great,” has no apprehensions regarding his match. “I am not underestimating Creep, but I am feeling good,” he said. “I have done much better than I anticipated.” When Kiljoy was asked about his game with leprechaun, the most evenly matched pairing so far, he promised “a good, intense match” in which the results can go either way. Kiljoy, too, is performing better than expected, and is hoping to take on his frag-bait in either the DM2 or DM6 map. As the field narrows down, a slight tension is being created by the presence of Gollum, who is becoming more prominent in the minds of the players.

11:34am CT

Here is the third segment of the John Carmack talk.

Streaming / Download (30 minutes; 3.7 MB)

You can stream the MP3 directly in WinAMP, press CTRL+L and enter the “streaming” URL: (http://www.avault.com/cpl_event/mp3/carmack3.m3u)

10:50am CT

The tournment is ahead of schedule, but things are getting off to a slow start this morning. Although the remaining 64-player matches were supposed to start at 10:00 CT, the official fragging is just now getting underway. Nevertheless, tournament organizers are confident the field will be narrowed down to the final two competitors by the end of the day. “The ultimate in sports is to get it down to the last two players, then make everyone wait until the next day to compete,” Angel Munoz smiled. “That is hard-core on the players!” After the 64-player matches are complete, the 16-player bracket will begin. This bracket is double elimination, meaning if a participant loses once, he or she is placed into the lower bracket and can place no higher than third.

Throughout the day, we will have interviews with CPL star players and premiere non-CPL competitors to get their take on how things look going into the final brackets. We also plan to speak with some of the gamers who brought their own computers for the recreational LAN and see if the group is having a good time toying with the T3 and Ethernet connections.

https://web.archive.org/web/20020115031832/http://www.avault.com:80/cpl_event/day3.asp

J u l y  24

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9:07pm CT

64-Man One-on-One Bracket Results

7:56pm CT

The second segment of the John Carmack talk is online

Streaming / Download (31 minutes; 3.7 MB)

You can also stream the MP3 directly in WinAMP, press CTRL+L and enter the “streaming” URL: (http://www.avault.com/cpl_event/mp3/carmack2.m3u)

7:40pm CT

The first one-on-one scores are coming in! MCjr By-Tor was handed defeat on a bloodied platter by gollum, who won with a score of 71 to -2. How painful it is. Faring better was Bone, who managed to score one frag against his executioner blueseed. The final score of that match was 44 to 1. The final scores for these matches are as entertaining as the actual competitions, and should make for great post-tournament bragging rights.

7:40pm CT

We spoke with Lonervamp, one of the tournament referees, to get his take on the proceedings. His job as a referee is to oversee the matches, making sure each starts on time, that there is no cheating, and that the competitors are playing fair. He believes his experience with past tournaments and the Clanring have given him a solid sense of good tournament protocol, and is glad to report the CPL matches are going “great.” No cheating and positive sportsman-like behavior have been the order of the hour, and no complaints from tournament participants have been issued. (Other than ]X[King complaining, “These computers suck!” after being subjected to a painful multi-frag run by opponent RoOS.) When asked if he was growing bored from sitting at a computer hour after hour watching the endless fragging, he laughed, “No, not bored. Just hungry!”

6:50pm CT

The 64-competitor one-on-one bracket has been seeded. Check out who will be slaughtered by whom here.

While some matches might seem unbalanced, such as #64 seed MCjr By-Tor playing against #1 seed Gollum, the seeding process conforms to NCAA standards. In adherence to this proven method, the matches are seeded according to a competitor’s performance in the preliminary heat as well as past tournaments. Although a number of matches are more balanced, such as #32 seed ]X[King competing against #33 RoOS, the bracket is built to ensure the best matches take place later in the tournament.

6:47pm CT

We have the first segment of John Carmack’s talk online.

Streaming / Download (31 minutes; 3.7 MB)

6:15pm CT

The preliminary heats have come to a close, with Gollum rocket jumping his way far above the competition with 111 frags. A number of non-CPL competitors are giving the CPL star players a run for the prize, including Hedgehog with 96 frags, Apocalypse with 86 frags, Insomnia with 85 frags, and sweetd and stasis with 82 frags each. Faring much better than he anticipated was CPL star player Lord Vader, who scored a total of 84 frags and finished well in front of second place finisher sCary, who totaled 54 frags. Disappointed with her performance was Kornelia, who advanced but admitted to having played “terribly.” The next step is the 64-competitor head-to-head matches. Seeding for the matches is being done by committee, and will be announced soon.

Final results for the preliminary heats can be found here.

5:45pm CT

Listening to id Software programmer John Carmack speak is like eating French food but not speaking the language. You may love the cuisine, but not understand much of what the waiter is saying. Just the same, numerous details emerged from his tech-intensive two hour discussion that revealed the direction of id’s next game. Some of the basics include true color, curved architecture, and small outdoor areas with rolling hills. In general, Carmack promised Quake III: Arena (the official title) will be the best looking 3D action game ever seen, though he will not be raising the bar as far as he has with past titles.

“We are aiming to make the most fun multiplayer game possible. Therefore, there are a number of things we will not pursue because it will detract from that experience,” he explained to a crowd of several hundred. The graphic technologies that will not be pursued include the much-hyped bump mapping, as well as subdivision surfaces. The game will contain a solo experience, though Carmack admitted the team is taking a risk by lessing its focus on this lucrative aspect of 3D games. (Though the online market has grown, more people purchase 3D games for the solo experience.) “There are multiple paths 3D games can take, and that includes powerful single player experiences. We are the one company who can afford to choose a different path that does not appeal to everyone,” he said.

Carmack also issued a warning to 3D game developers, stating the increased level of detail being injected into games is going to extend development times into an unreasonable realm. “I admire Unreal, but will never spend three-and-a-half years developing a game,” he promised to enthusiastic applause.

His statement offers additional insight into recent design decisions. Although the exploration aspect and incredible visual vistas from id’s previous games will not be there, the game sounds as though it will have strong, robust appeal to the hard-core online audience. For example, it will integrate the popular user-modification CTF as a standard part of the game. Whether or not a solid single-player experience playing against the computer AI is possible remains to be seen, though we have a feeling Carmack will not expend too many processing cycles worrying about it.

We are working to place his entire talk online, though this will take some time. It will be available in manageable chunks of 30 minutes.

3:27pm CT

Carmack and Cash address the crowd… we are taping the entire workshop. Watch for it later today.

  3:11pm CT

ACT LABS came to the CPL tournament in the hopes of showing those in attendence their revolutionary new RPG Controller. Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law has struck again and FedEx has lost ACT’s precious cargo. We are hoping FedEx finds the shipment before the tournament ends, and we will have all the info for you should the controllers arrive. In the meantime, the guys from ACT haven’t let this small setback spoil their fun, and have been enticing gamers at the show with LAN games of NASCAR Racing 2 for cool prizes, including a grand prize of every controller ACT LABS has ever made!

2:58pm CT

Paul Steed, id Software modeler, spoke this afternoon to a packed room about the evolution of art from previous id titles to the next generation. Although an in-depth preview will follow in the upcoming weeks, juicy details on the upcoming Quake Arena include playing characters from each id Software game, going back as far as Commander Keen and Wolfenstein, using weapons from previous games (the much-loved Plasma Gun from the Doom series and the lightning gun from Quake will be making a return), and a level of modifiability that allows users to create models that look similar to their real-world selves. The animation will use a combination of skeletal animation and vertex modeling, and be divided into upper torso and lower torso parts to create models with almost unlimited movement without slowing the game down. Imagine jumping across a chasm, and the model waving its arms and legs to strain across the gap, then crouching when it lands. Weapons interaction will be more complex, and players will be able to holster their weapons in order to run faster. This will add a tactical element to the combat. For example, in dark areas, you will be able to holster your Plasma Gun to hide its telltale glow, then snap it out at the right moment to make the kill. Essentially, Paul Steed said, “Imagine everything you have loved about id Software games put on steroids, and you have Quake Arena.” There will be complex pyrotechnics, increased visual fidelity, ranking systems, and more. Although reluctant to reveal a release date, he did say the game, which will be published by Activision, is a 1999 title. Programmer John Carmack is preparing to make a presentation, so more details with follow.

2:30pm CT

We just spoke with Jason Needleman, Activision’s Director of Sales, to get the scoop on Sunday’s SiN demo premiere and first ever public LAN-based tournament for the game. According to Needleman, who ironed out the details with event organizers Angel Munoz and Mike Wardell just minutes ago, the demo will debut and the LAN competition will take place Sunday at 1:00 CT. The top 16 players in the official tournament will take part in two eight-man matches (the demo being used supports eight players) in a fast-paced 20-minute free-for-all. The top four finishers will receive a free copy of the game when it is released. When asked why Activision chose to premiere the demo at the CPL event, Needleman cited the encouragement of Babbages and Software, Etc., one of the tournament sponsors. Interestingly, the mega-publisher was initially reluctant to take part in the event, though Needleman confessed after seeing the size and scope of it, he wished he has set up an official booth. “We have 500 of our best customers in this room,” he said, shaking his head in amazement. “In the future, we plan to take a more active approach and help sponsor events such as these.” In honor of the event, Sunday has been renamed Sinday, Bloody Sinday.

11:55am CT

Heat six has been completed, with Kiljoy, Krave, RoOS, blueseed, Anubis, and Monkey[LoL] advancing. We asked John “Kiljoy” Ehde what worked for him, and he said “keeping healthy.” This bracket was the toughest one yet in the tournament, with Krave, RoOs, and blueseed giving Kiljoy a tight run for the lead spot. In fact, Kiljoy and Krave tied with a score of 71 frags each, with RoOs and blueseed scoring in the high sixties. “The first game is always the roughest, so I am going to have to keep cooler in upcoming matches if I am going to continue to advance,” he said. When asked if he believed he would make it to the final bracket, he said, with reservation, “I am going to work for it, but anything can happen.”

11:25am CT

Heats four and five have taken place, with no major surprises. Advancing from these heats are Insomnia, gunpwdr, Manowar, ]X[King, jaba, Yaro, Hijinks9, SS|Plop, Screw, [MC]Strangepork, Matador, and womp, who advances with a surprisingly low eight frags. Heats six and seven are in progress.

We spoke with Dan “gunpwdr” La, who racked up 70 frags, the lowest score of a CPL star player to this point in the official tournament. “I had a slow start and trouble getting into the groove,” he admitted. When asked what strategies appear to be working during these initial free-for-alls, he said loading up on armor and rockets, then blazing to the areas where rocket launchers are located and “cherry-picking” players engaged in firefights. Getting a high frag count fast and maintaining it is important in the preliminary matches, and the players who are advancing are playing a less aggressive, more defensive game, and scoring kills from the fringes of the more intense action.

In order to confirm Wardwell’s statement regarding the tournament computers, we approached Lord Vader and gunpwdr, and each agreed the machines are top notch. “These machines are vastly superior to those used during PGL tournaments,” Lord Vader enthused. “You can only play at the top of your game on your own computer, but other than a few mouse-compatibility problems, these machines are incredible. I was surprised and very pleased.” It is important to note that since all computer configurations are identical, all tournament participants are playing in an even field, and have no hardware-related advantages.

10:50am CT

Welcome to the second day of our coverage of the CPL event. Last night, the first three preliminary heats took place, with six players advancing from each round. The masters of pummeling advancing from these matches are gollum, Hedgehog, rapid offense unit, ezekiel, A-Styles, Mcjr By-tor, Thorn, quantum, cRaZz, Creep, solomon, Dimen, homeboy, U4-Rix, DCsteve, scooter, Darenth, and Ice. The final total advances to the head-to-head competition will be 64 players. Since there were fewer players than anticipated — the original plan was for 256 players to take part in the official tournament, and according to Mike Wardell, one of the tournament organizers, approximately 150 players entered the tournament — anywhere from four to six players will advance from each of the remaining ten heats. Currently, heats four and five are taking place, and results will be up soon. (The room is surprisingly silent, as the level of concentration is intense.) According to Wardell, the tournament is now on schedule and on track, no major mishaps have taken place, and the 64-player matches will be taking place this evening. He also mentioned that players are pleased with the speed and agility of the tournament computers, resolving one of the major complaints of The FRAG.

This should be one of the most exciting days of the event. This afternoon, however, things will come to a grinding halt as one of the most powerful individuals in computer gaming industry, John Carmack, arrives to discuss id Software’s plans for Quake III Arena. Joining him will be artist Paul Steed and programmer John Cash. This evening Richard “Levelord” Gray and Tom “Paradox” Mustaine will be revealing the secrets to world class level design in their own workshop.

We will be talking with some non-CPL players as the day progresses to get their take on the proceedings, as well as conducting interviews with the CPL star players to find out what strategies are working for those advancing in the tournament. Stay tuned!

10:35am CT

Here are a few demos from last night’s FFA’s:

• FFA1.ZIP
• FFA2.ZIP
• FFA3.ZIP

To view these demos, you will need the death32a map used in the free-for-alls (FFAs). Download it and place it in your quake/id1/maps directory.

https://web.archive.org/web/19990222124700/http://www.avault.com:80/cpl_event/day2.asp

J u l y  23

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9:20pm CT

In keeping with tradition, the preliminary rounds have been delayed again and will start at 9:30 CT. We will have results and coverage tomorrow morning.

8:41pm CT

The CPL Event tournament brackets have been announced here.

7:35pm CT

CPL officials have announced the official tournament is set to begin at 8:30 CT. The 256-player competition will commence with a qualifying round for a 64-player single elimination bracket. The round will consist of 11 to 12 player matches, with three people from each match advancing and being seeded in the head-to-head tournament. Despite delays in the official tournament, the recreational LANs are scorching. Several unofficial Quake and Quake IImatches are taking place, with Unreal and the still-popular Doom II also making strong showings. (Not a real-time strategy game can be found.) The CPL stars, of course, are burning through Quake to gear up for the official competition.

John Blake, coach of the University of Oklahoma and former defensive line coach for the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, dropped by to give us his impressions of the tournament. He draws a number of interesting parallels between traditional and computer-based sports.

Listen to the interview here: Streaming / Download

7:30pm CT

The first 360 degree panorama shot is online. Your browser needs Java to view it.

6:30pm CT

A number of sponsorship announcements have been made that CPL tournament attendees should take full advantage of! Bazooka Speaker Systems is offering the Bazooka MS5 subwoofer for $99 as a CPL tournament exclusive. The regular price for the unit is $149.95. In addition, ACT Labs is holding aNASCAR Racing II contest. The top drivers each day win keychains, t-shirts, gamepads, and complete racing systems. On the last day of the event the top 12 drivers will race for a complete controller package that will include every product ACT Labs has made. Babbages, Etc. is offering a $10 instant rebate with each reservation of SiN, which is scheduled for release in Sept. (The demo will premiere at the tournament Sunday for the first-ever SiN LAN-fest.) Tiger Distributing will be selling the tournament computers, including the monitor and 12 MB 3dfx Voodoo 2 card, at cost ($1495). Additional sponsorship announcements are pending.

5:50pm CT

We just interviewed the originator of the deathmatch concept, John Romero of ION Storm fame. He discusses his hopes for the tournament, as well as the progress of Daikatana. A few minutes after the interview, he was introduced to a crowd of several hundred, who greeted the design legend with enthusiastic applause. “I won’t be playing this weekend, but I will be walking around and checking everyone out,” he said over the screams of admirers. “I expect to see lots of blood and gibs flying around.” He clarified the pronunciation of gib, saying it was “gib as in gibblets.” Without a doubt, something would be missing if Romero was not in the house.

Listen to the interview here: Streaming / Download

The event is running two hours behind schedule. About three-fourths of the tournament computers are set up, and the Intergraph chairs are just now being placed.

3:55pm CT

Our final pre-tournament participant interview was CPL star player Dan “Rix” Hammans, a talented gamer who was disappointed with his showing at The FRAG. Bucking a trend, Rix, who is determined not to suffer a repeat, has spent considerable time preparing for the tournament. He spent four to six hours per day for the last two weeks playing friend PVP, and spent a weekend deathmatching with Batch. “I feel great. I have improved since The FRAG, and feel I can take on all comers, including Gollum.” Rix was a strong contender in The FRAG finals until the last minute, when he “got nervous and blew it,” so for him, preparations included full, intense 20-minute sessions. He promises to approach the competition with his trademark aggressive style, controlling powerups and ammunition and throwing the full force of his firepower in the face of opponents. The computers are close to being set up, and the competition should begin at 5:00 p.m. CT.

3:31pm CT

Attention CPL Event attendees! The folks at SAS, makers of the Bazooka MS5 Multimedia subwoofer, are having a special sale price for CPL Event attendess. Head over to their booth for more details.

2:50pm CT

We spoke with another of the CPL star players, Lord Vader, who placed second in The FRAG. When asked about his preparations for the tournament, he said, “I have not played against a human opponent for a long time. I have a 28.8 connection and have been working a lot, so gaming has not been a priority. If someone has placed a bet on me, they are going to lose money.” His statement echoed those of several CPL star players, who claim to have not been able to spend sufficient time practicing and preparing for the tournament. Will the premiere group struggle to place in the finals, and perhaps clear the path for a dark horse in the final bracket? Lord Vader does not think so. “Past experience will help us,” he declared with confidence. “But I am here for the fun and to support the concept. Plus, this is as much a convention as it is a gaming tournament. We are getting a good look at all the cool technology and games that will be coming out.”

2:15pm CT

We just spoke with Andy “Leprechaun” Vadja, one of the premiere players in the official tournament, regarding recent controversial events in professional gaming.

Listen to the interview here: Streaming / Download

Warning: These are unedited interviews, they may contain explicit language.The tournament computers are here and being set up!

1:45pm CT

Gollum, the CPL star player who is favored to win the official tournament, has arrived. Since there are no machines for him to start dealing death on, he took a moment to talk about his feelings and level of preparation going into the tournament. Having won the FRAG, ICON, and other tournaments, his confidence level is high. When asked if he expected to win, he answered with a resounding, “Yes! In fact, if I do not win, I will be disappointed.” Preparations have been light, however, and limited to weekend sessions with fellow Clan member and solo opponent Thorn. “Once you reach a certain level of skill, you just need to maintain it,” he asserted. “There is no need for me to press harder.” Although we expect to be interviewing Gollum in the winner’s circle, as Thorn said, “Anything can happen.” Stay tuned.

Word on the floor is that the tournament computers are on the truck, and on the way.

1:20pm CT

We pulled CPL star player Kornelia out of the registration line to ask about her hopes leading into the official tournament. (Kornelia fans, relax! We let her back in after the interview, so she will be primed to go.) Kornelia has a solid resume of success, including first place in both the All Female Tournament and Queen of the Hill events last year. This year, however, her game time has suffered from a number of distractions, including work and family. For these reasons, she is not expecting to place well in this tournament. “I am rusty, and have not practiced as much as I should,” she admitted. “Still, I am thrilled to be a part of this. It is taking computer gaming to a new level, and I plan to be a part of it as long as life allows.” Kornelia is the essence of the next-generation computer gamer. She is a professional, she loves computer games, and has made important advances in a sport most people assumed would be male-dominated. She, too, is elevating the art of computer games to a new level.

Countdown to ground zero is three and a half hours and falling. Temperatures, however, are rising. Outside it is a sweltering 102 degrees, while inside the heat is rising over the still-absent tournament computers.

12:55pm CT
We just spoke with David “Thorn” Chun, a CPL star player who is favored to place high in the official tournament. His past successes include third place at The FRAG, second in a St. Louis tournament — he lost to CPL star player Gollum — and second at the T3 finals in Jan. 1998 with his clan Unforgiven. When asked how how he feels going into the tournament, he answered, “Very good. At The FRAG I was nervous, but I have been practicing and preparing for this tournament, and believe I have a good chance to win.” Preparations for the tournament have included weekend sessions with Gollum in his home, as well as Internet play, though since it is summer he laments not having access to a fast connection. His approach will be aggressive, though he says he will be making adjustments according to the play-style of his opponents. “If there is a kill, I go after it. That sometimes gets me in trouble,” he laughed. We will be following this strong contender to the finals, where we fully anticipate he will be.

12:04pm CT

MP3 Interview with PoliSh: http://www.avault.com/cpl_event/mp3/polish1.mp3 (266 KB)

Download WinAMP: WINAMP192.EXE (424 KB)

Warning: These are unedited interviews, they may contain explicit language.11:25am CT

Dallas is not so hot. Take the CPL event for example. The Infomart, a towering and spacious glass and steel behemoth, is hosting the coolest and largest LAN-based gaming event in the annals of computer gaming. Scores of gamers from all over the world are gathering within a single large room to make a powerful statement, and that statement is, “Face-to-face gaming is golden.” Although setup is still in its infacy, and the much-hyped tournament computers have yet to arrive, excitement is in the air and the place is brimming with activity. Dozens of computers brought by organizers and volunteers have somehow been convinced to talk to each other, and the unofficial fragging has begun. Screams of death are mixing with the strains of Led Zepplin to create a sound unlike you have ever heard. If you have ever seen the snake pit scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, you have an idea of what the floor looks like with its serpentine mix of cables, wires, and power cords. Keeping pace are the sponsors, who are rushing about setting up their booths. By this afternoon they will be hyping their wares to a decidely youthful and enthusiastic crowd. Stay tuned to this page for early interviews with CPL organizer Polish and others as they comment on events leading up to the start of the tournament.

10:14am CT

Setup continues…

J u l y  22

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5:52pm CT

Panorama shot from the back of the CPL event floor

4:50pm CT

The magical Infomart fountain, spewing nutritious selenium and chlorine. Update: Upon closer inspection, the fountain water is actually quite unhealthy. Brian should be out of the hospital by Sunday.

J u l y  21

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8:13pm CT

Death. Destruction. Mayhem. It’s full-scale war, and we’re right in the middle of it! Welcome to the Adrenaline Vault’s CPL Event coverage page! Starting on Thursday, July 23, we’ll be bringing you live coverage of the CPL Event at the Infomart in Dallas, Texas. Brian Clair, Rex Mendoza, and David Laprad will be on-hand at the festivities, rubbing elbows with gaming bigwigs like John Romero, getting some multiplayer Quake 2 tips from the Cyberathlete Star Players, and most importantly, keeping you updated on the events as they happen!

Stay tuned for more multiplayer gaming action than you can handle…

For more information, be sure to check out the recent press releases of the Cyberathlete Organization, and the great preview on the Cyber Sports Network!

https://web.archive.org/web/19990221213838/http://www.avault.com:80/cpl_event/day1.asp

More prizes will be announced soon!

https://web.archive.org/web/19981206073104/http://cpl.cyberathlete.com:80/prizes.shtml