Court Rivals: The Game of Life

I thought nothing else in the world would make me get hooked.   TV shows failed to do that, neither did my favorite comic book characters.    only perhaps an ateneo game excites me this much.   So it really came as a surprise when i got hooked almost a month ago.   As the popular line of the Pringles ad aptly put it:   “Once you pop, you just can’t stop.”    (thanks to my bro-in-law, Mik, for always bringing this line up)  

A brother-in-law of mine (thanks, reagan) introduced this game to us.   At first, i was reluctant to join or play the game since it’s no fun to do it alone.    Finally, when Mik was convinced to join, we embarked on a journey that got us hooked.   So what really is court rivals?     It’s a random simulation game where you get to become the basketball player you dream to be by training him with the attributes needed to succeed in the game.    There is a gym there where you train almost everyday (and every minute of it at times) and a game is scheduled daily (10:05am mla time) against teams from all over the world.    The feeling of victory is so sweet you’d be grinning from ear to ear once the results are out and the euphoria it creates among your teammates is quite real.   It’s as if you were in an actual game with them.    However the agony of defeat is too hard to swallow also that sometimes you may feel despair reigning over your mood even if the game is just a simulation.    

It’s really quite fortunate that i was able to form this team in about a day or two.   I contacted relatives, friends and even a neighbor and his friend to join us.   And before i know it, the Galactic Titans was born.    At first, we were kinda lost since this is all a first for us…(just like a group of teenage virgins).    We kinda lost our 1st 2 games but when we tasted victory on our 3rd game, boy, it was exhilirating.     Over time, we got to know each other and relied on one another to help train the players especially when our busy schedules prevent us to do so (or in my case, a lack of internet access at home).     But defeat has an ugly side to it and before we know it, bickerings can be felt and heard among ourselves.    What can we do?   We’re not really the titans of lore.   We’re all human beings, hoops fanatics to be exact, with feelings and emotions that can swing both ways, wherever the tide dictates.    In the end, we have to remind ourselves, it’s all just a game.   A stupid game in fact.   Until now, none of  us know how to win games the right way.    None of us are assured that our training will reap the success we all dream of.    It is the randomness that somehow makes this game addicting.    We don’t know what tomorrow really brings—a victory or a loss, it’s anybody’s ballgame really.   All we can do is just prepare.   Parang life di ba?   

And so the people who have journeyed with me in our inaugural season at Court Rivals:  thank you for the companionship and camaraderie we all learned to share.   We may not see each other, some even have not met before, yet when given a chance to see one another, i’m sure there’ll be stories to retell, and the bond that we shared in this journey can somehow be likened to siblings or old friends.    Yes, Court Rivals may just be a game, a stupid one at that, but if it brought us together and made life an interesting one, there may be more to it than meets the eye.

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