>Play UT2k4 all of the time online
>Play so much I become somewhat good at it
>There's a few dedicated servers I frequent, see a group of guys there all of the time
>They are all IRL friends who made a fake clan tag as a joke, but they're pretty good at the game
>End up following them around servers, using their fake clan tag to search for them
>Get to know them
>Wonder why they hardly talk in chat; find out they have a Teamspeak server
>They eventually invite me and I talk to them
>They're all totally cool, somewhat older than me
>Play with them more and more until they suggested I adopt their fake clan tag
>I do, I actually made online friends
>I eventually even bring a couple of my IRL friends along and it works
>We get to the point where we are good enough and have the drive to turn the fake clan into a real one
>We enter on an amateur public ladder and start working our way up
>By the time we did this, UT2k4 was in decline but we keep playing
>A different large and experienced clan breaks up suddenly, we get to know their players and absorb a bunch of them
>We end up a really experienced and talented UT2k4 clan
>We drill and practice constantly and work our way up the ladder
>One of the guys is a talented programmer, he's willing to pay for and create a dedicated server for us
>We have actual clan practice times where we hash out strategies and practice teamwork
>As UT2k4 dies off, we turn our public dedicated server into a demo server
>It turns out a huge number of people still played with only the demo version of the game; demo servers were the only regularly populated servers
>Programmer guy develops a complex system of tracking demo players so we can ban cheaters
>We continue to climb the ladder
>Eventually end up at second place, challenge the top team of the ladder
>Lose once, we keep practicing, keep playing
>Challenge again
>We win
>We become the top team for our game mode in North America
>We keep playing for fun because we're good at the game and like playing it
>Eventually UT3 comes out and everyone hates it
>Slowly everyone drifts apart except for the "core" group of guys that I first met
>I keep playing other co-op games with them, especially Left 4 Dead and Terreria
>I eventually meet the guys IRL, they're just normal guys who like games
>No trannies, or furries, or any other weird shit I've heard from people's stories on here. They're just normal guys
>Meet up with them several times, play paintball, have LAN parties, etc.
>Over time we slowly drift apart; they all get occupied with careers, families, etc.
>The games we like get old, we don't pick up new ones
>Drift apart more
>At the point where I haven't spoken to them in years
I miss those guys. Considering the stories I've seen from other people though, I consider myself extremely lucky.
Nothing will ever replace actual player-run dedicated servers when it comes to forming communities and friends. Even before I met up with my fun clan guys, dedicated servers are where I'd meet people and get to know them, where actual communities would form.
I feel bad for the kids nowadays who just get paired up with random people each game.
And for you people who just run into freaks online: things are probably harder nowadays due to normalfags and matchmaking, but there are actual normal people who play games and are looking for friends.