25th February 2004

I come to the task of writing about myself rather reluctantly, and only because DoomSoaker suggested it. Really, I hardly feel worthy to post alongside hardened warriors like DoomSoaker and General RAK. However, since I do run this site, I suppose it's appropriate that I do so.

Back in 2002, I was given an XP270 as a present, and the person who is now my HWO also received one around that time. Before that, I had had very little experience of water guns, except one memorable occasion with someone who basically introduced himself with what I now believe was a CPS 2500...enough said. With the XP270 though, I became keen in waterfighting, at least during the summer. No major water fights were held, though.

During the winter of 02/03, I did little regarding Super Soakers.

Then talk began of a water fight in 2003...not me organising it, but I got really excited about it. I had some rather impractical plans for homemades, none of which came off. Eventually, I went on the Internet, and the first Super Soaker site (after www.supersoaker.com) I found was some Geocites site...Super Soaker Elite, though now practically dead, it has reviews of several XPs and also CPSs...that got me keen on the CPS 2500, although I was confused by there being no mention of the CPS 2500 on www.supersoaker.com. Amazingly, soon after that I found CPS 2500s on sale online for £20 each. My HWO and I both purchased one, after deliberating for some time...sounds incredible that anyone could wait over a purchase like that, eh? I didn't realise at that time the true scarcity of the CPS in the UK. True, I had some knowledge of it, but not as much as I do now. Around that time, I also found www.isoaker.com, and found it truly amazing. Just what I needed: a massive Super Soaker resource.

Well, plans went ahead for the water fight, with me making as many suggestions as possible to get it going along what I considered to be the right track, e.g. don't have it in a field with no cover at all, have it with some cover to make it more fun...etc.

My HWO-to-be and I went over to a friend's house in the country to have a skirmish. We each took a CPS 2500 (one's nozzle had come off, and so was stuck on only one setting, but the company we had bought it from had sent a replacement) and split up for a free-for-all, and then a 2 v 1. We had great fun, being in hilly country around a barn soaking each other.

Eventually the long-awaited day dawned. We came, ready to destroy the oppostion with our CPSs.

I don't want to dwell on it too long. Put simply, the day turned out to be a nightmare for me, although we didn't lose totally by any means.

However, I drew some extremely important points from that day. They were:

1) Some people just cheat. Choose the people to have a waterfight with wisely. Don't expect all to abide by rules of fair play.

2) Over-planning can end in disappointment.

3) My aforementioned friend turned out to be a great scout/spy, and now occupies that position in my elite threesome.

4) Get the game type right.

5) Don't rush in and blitz the opposing side when they cheat. You then get accused of cheating yourself.

6) Several of my friends proved themselves true friends, and this drew us closer together.

7) A water barrel with a tap is a great idea for a filling station, and it worked in that instance brilliantly.

After that fight, I became more than ever determined to put together an elite squad that would hold their own against all comers. So my HWO, scout and myself formed an elite threesome, as mentioned above. This squad still exists, and I hope for action in the 2004 soaking season. During the end of the 2003 summer I managed to have a 2 v 2 with some other friends, which worked great, and was really fun.

Early 2004 I stumbled across www.sscentral.net. Mods! Homemades! Superb! I joined the forums, and soon after that joined the WaterWar.Net forums.

Very recently (February 2004), I felt I wanted to get into the soaker website world. You're reading right now what my result was. Thanks for taking the time to read my saga!

26th September 2004

The season of 2004 was a little bit strange for me. Early in the year, I was honoured with the position of Moderator on SSCentraI, a position which I still hold. I also participated on WWN, which, sadly, fell due to server problems. I quickly joined the iScF, becoming member no. 5, but my contribution to the iScF was at first a little quiet, having the established SSC forums to post at. However, I found it became an interesting forum to visit and participate at, and my posting there gradually increased. Being a staff member at SSC though definitely has been rewarding, despite the occasional difficulties with members.

On the minus side, one might have thought that my involvement with the online community would drastically improve the quantity and quality of my battles, but even skirmishes have been few and far between this season, with sadly low numbers: I think the largest was a 2v2. My squad underwent some problems, and I fear my Covert Ops Specialist may no longer take part in our waterfighting. With some new members though with good CPS weaponry, 2005, or even the 2004 winter can be looked forward to with more hope. Going on advice from the community, I increased my armoury, which is now thankfully a lot stronger than it was when I first wrote this saga. I also bought and re-sold some CPS soakers that I managed to get hold of (if you're in the UK (or not, come to that) and looking to buy some blasters, it's worth dropping me a line). Also, ISS has grown steadily, and I'm proud to host the sagas of many veterans, including, among others, Doom, iSoaker, and Cloud.

I have plans for ISS...only time will tell whether they actually happen...