Too Easy For [4K^Darth]
I took some time out of my busy schedule to conduct an interview with Pieter Bas Kwak better known as [4K^Darth]. Pieter Bas Kwak is the most famous, and most successful foreign gamer ever to hit the UK shores and has been among the 4k lineup for some time now.
So to begin with, tell us a bit about yourself
[4K^Darth] - Oh my gosh, I just realized, I do not know my own age 18 or 19. I thought 18 but now I think of it 1983/7/28. hmm. Well I'm 19 years old, got into gaming from the very moment I was able to use pc's. My dad sells PC's so even when they were rare and amazingly expensive I was able to play on them. I started playing classics like Phantasy Star, Monkey Island and of course TIE-Fighter. I wasn't very attracted to FPS at that time Wolfenstein scared the hell out of me and for some games I needed my dad to feel safe enough. CS was the first FPS game that really got me interested, as I saw it's progress on www.planethalflife.com before it was finished. I've been addicted to windsurfing as long as I've been in love with computer games although I do it rarely these days because of various factors (money, time, wind and will) besides that I played tennis and but with less passion. At school I have always done a fairly decent job with little effort, I managed to finished the VWO (pretty much the highest one can get) and am now studying Business Studies at University Tilburg, I do not like my current course at all it has been totally different than I expected and am planning to come to the United Kingdom next year. I have no job at this very moment, actually I got fired because of my Counter-Strike passion, and live of my CS earnings. At the moment I live in both Tilburg (mon-fri) and Winterswijk (fri-sun), and it is quite inconvenient for me.
Living off your CS earnings some people may call you a 'Pro-Gamer'. What is your attitude to pro gaming?
[4K^Darth] - Don't really have an attitude towards it, but I do think Pro-Gaming is a fact in Korea because of the attention the media gives esports there. I do not know if there is an actual definition of pro-gaming. I do know that Gaming in general and esports are having an enormous boost in Europe look at the amount of big LANs in Europe alone. The media coverage is increasing as well (4K were on CNN often after Intel Masters)
Do you see yourself becoming a Pro-Gamer in the future?
[4K^Darth] - If you define pro as making a living off of it, that's what I am doing right now and since the whole e-Sports thing keeps expanding I hope there is a bright future for me and the clan. But it all depends on how you define pro-gamer.
How much are your plans to move to United Kingdom influenced by you being a member of a UK CS clan?
[4K^Darth] - Not very much, just makes it more interesting. Do not forget that my current course is already 100% in English. The thing that just annoys me is the level of language skills the teachers have, they are quite limited and not as gifted as they should have been in my perspective. Of course I would have taken other country's in consideration like Canada or America but CS is just a part of my life I do not want to give up on at this time.
You've been a member of the UK's number one gaming team Four-Kings for quite some time now. Why did you decide to join them and did you think your position in the team was shaky after Oppie left last year?
[4K^Darth] - I used to play for COTK in the old days they were (and still are under the name TURDZ) the soundest blokes the dutch cs scene will ever have. Of course I couldn't refuse the offer oppie proposed me at that time it was a really big step, from zero to hero I guess. CSA asked me to join them in the very same hour, it was a tough decision as I knew Aapje fairly well but I went for 4K eventually, and haven't regret this decision ever. I did not think my position in 4K was shaky when oppie left because we are fairly open to each and a close group and this move was anticipated so no not really, although sometimes I do get worried esp. with things like the WCG, but like I said we are a bunch of friends and I don't see things falling apart until well thought of on that note I wanna say Doug has done an excellent job replacing Neffgen, he has been a formidable leader.
How much has 4K changed since you've been in the team, especially since Jonny Neffgen last last year?
[4K^Darth] - On one hand much, on the other hand not much. I'll elaborate: The same spirit we had when we all started is still there it feels the same as 2 years ago, amazingly good bunch of guys playing a game having fun. Things looked a bit dark when Jonny left he really did a lot for the team, and he used to call tacs in-game too. But douglas really did a good job and mostly kept things like they were. Tthings changed the most I believe when we went from 10 players to 6. I'll try to summarize my point, the spirit is still the same but the way we play the game has evolved a bit I think.
A lot of great players have played for the 4K team over the years, which ex-player would you most like to see back in the team, either for his gaming abilities or personality?
[4K^Darth] - Christ, that's a hard one. Incase of player I would have to go for mAdmOnk, then I really looked up to him before I joined Four Kings and he was such a good player as well, and his nickname is just leet. Personality would obviously be our very own j0nb0y.
As a follow-up, Give me your opinion on the following players, and the manner in which they left the team:
Purple
[4K^Darth] - Pinged 30 to any server (even German ones) really sound bloke madskills, met him several times once being at a Dutch LAN which he attended with his Dutch clan innominis. He left because we had to cut down to 6 players and at that time he was very busy and less online then we needed him.
Nemo
[4K^Darth] - nemo, haha dude this guy was v v funny, had some cool words like HANDBRAKEITMATE, never ever had troubles with him also I, used to look up on him because of his bunnyhopping skills when I had no clue what that was. Unluckily I met him only once. I can't remember why he left, I think he went to noc.
Dartagnan
[4K^Darth] - Greg, although he did not fit in very well, I never had much problems with him he did loads for me as well booked my flight, picked me up and I stayed at his place several times too. Although I have to add that his behaviour in-game was unacceptable. Reason: kicked because of personality clashes with the team
Xenon
[4K^Darth] - This guy got seriously some big issues in a funny way he just seems to have a need to sing as soon as he starts playing Counter-Strike, I wish I could say he's gonna be the new idols winner. He also got a fresh way of playing CS. STATUS: Unknown, he's still having his holiday in Sweden.
What do you think you bring to the CS team both skills and personality wise.
[4K^Darth] - I don't know really, I guess it is because I am Dutch and I say dude while I am sleeping. My skill just varies a lot. I can play piss for a week or two (or even more) and suddenly do well really I can't answer this question because I simply don't know.
One of your claims to fame in the CS world is that you've done more travelling than any other CS player, does the constant travelling bother you?
[4K^Darth] - It's what I love about it, although I do wet my pants whenever get in a plane.
There are a few rumours about your LAN adventures, 2 especially come to mind. One being your ability to find Slough from Holland and the other getting on a plane to Madrid to play for a clan you had never heard of 12 hrs ago?, perhaps you could explain?
[4K^Darth] - Yeh well Slough was amazing, I tend to bring nothing with me no information & phone numbers etc, (this changed now btw) and I had a delay of roughly 1,5 hour at Luton airport because of problems with my luggage, nothing was being said about this to the people waiting to pick me up (Greg and his brother). They had to leave because his brother had to go to work (no hard feeling about this). So when I finally got my luggage no-one was there, so I went outside lied down in the grass where they could see me and fell asleep (for roughly 3 hours) and I waited some more (at least 2 more hours). Then I decided nothing was gonna happen and I tried to remember where I needed to go to but since I had nothing with me and didn't bother to pay attention in IRC I had no clue then at a point I remember two cities Northampton & something weird so I decided to go to the one I knew. I went from LONDON LUTON to farrington and than I took the underground to Paddington. I had loads of trouble with the underground, so this took me two hours. At Paddington I suddenly saw the name SLOUGH on one of the depart thingy boards and was like hmm could be that too, took the train to slough looked for a netcafe couldn't find it found myself some dodgy Indian thing, looked up the address and found out I was in the right city and found the netcafe within 30 mins after that, lucky me.
The other one was even more special to me. I knew 2 guys from this Portuguese clan HS cause I played 2v1 with them a few times but that was like 1 year ago. Suddenly I got a pm at 1am that they needed a merc for a CPL qualifier and I think this was Thursday morning. I didn’t believe them at first (cause they said they asked khaos already too :D) but it was for real and we booked that flight the same night. I got a flight booked (paid by them as well fucking good) at Friday 7am to Zurich then from Zurich to Madrid and left Monday at 13:00 in Madrid back to Zurich and then Amsterdam.
BUT, my boss couldn't give me the days off. So I told him I would not be able to come to work When I told him that he said he would fire me if I didn’t turn up on Saturday. But I already said yes to the HS guys and the flight was booked. This all happened in 16 hours. Then I went to the airport and slept there to make sure I would be able to catch my 7am flight Fridays. So off I was to the CPL MADRID qualifier, to beautiful city of Madrid, where we eventually got fucked over by the admins and did not win, but I met an amazing bunch of guys from Portugal who gave me a hell-of-a trip. I had loads of fun although I was a bit disappointed that we did not win, and I got fired and my boss even has threatened me to sue because I was bound to my job by a contract but eventually he only fired me. Thanks to the HELLSQUAD guys, and I really hope I can do something back some day.
Looking back at all the games you've played, which one single game stands out the most, and which player/clan would you be most afraid to play against at a LAN tournament?
[4K^Darth] - The game that stands out would be where we beat nocturne 13-1. Another one that stands out is the one versus ui at primary strike 2002, stands out in a negative way but it does stand out q:D. I don’t fear any clan because if you want to be the best you will need to beat all of 'm eventually and we are still playing to be the best, sorry q:D.
Out of the teams I most respect, it has to be 3D, they tend to swap players a lot , at least that's what they did after they did pretty bad in the CPL and at the WCG, but they stuck together even after WCG and did an amazing job at the past CPL Winter by winning it.
Right, World Cyber Games, which team did you play for and how well did you do?
[4K^Darth] - I was playing with my friend of rG.lan (now known as o8s.lan) the team was me Tom Aapje Carnage and oppie, I personally did very well in both qualifiers and was horrible in Korea, we got very upset when both Canada and Russia beat us. We knew we could have done better and still think that although they became the eventual #1 #2, so we ended up getting knocked out in the group games.
How did you find WCG in general, player comfort, tournament organisation, experiences, Korea itself etc.?
[4K^Darth] - Yeh, well we really got taken care of thanks to Samsung, it was an amazing experience everything was perfect, besides the pc's having gf2mx gfx cards. And I still hope they change their rules, like, the majority of a team should be from the same nation and they have to be at that qualifier. It fucked up many things e.g. SK's line-up (although other factors took part in that too). Therefore competition wise CPL's are better but as an even WCG is the current #1.
Moving on once again, when did you realise you were fairly good at Counter-Strike compared to the average player, and did it require lots of practice?
[4K^Darth] - hmm, that's gotta be when after a few months in COTK I started being top fragger a lot. And of course we had this great server in the Netherlands owned by clan LL. All cool Dutchies played on that single server, it was just good fun. Loads of practise? Hmm I just played the game as much as I could but was very limited because there was/is(?) no such thing in Holland as flat rate ISDN. And when I joined up with 4K, I was like hmm maybe I'm more then a camper q:D.
What is your current set-up for CS?
[4K^Darth] - res: 800x600, mouse: MX300 in Tilburg / MS3.0 in Winterswijk, mousemat: Ones I 'found' at university got shitloads of 'm now q:D use these both in Winterswijk & Tilburg, gfx card: Tilburg - GF4 4400, Winterwijk - GF2MX, processor: Tilburg AMD XP 2200+, Winterswijk - AMD 1000, memory: Tilburg 512 MD DDR, Winterswijk - 256 MB, monitor: Tilburg - Tatung 14", Winterswijk (Tatung?) 19", sensitivity: 2.0 on windows xp with logitech 300mx INF files as mousedrivers, connection: Tilburg cable, Winterswijk ADSL 1.5 mb.
What advice would you give to players wanting to rise up to the level of the top players?
[4K^Darth] - Be determined and play a lot, also don't change your sensitivity as much as I do and don’t pm me.
What advice would you give to people that download Heaton's config and use exactly the same settings as he does (Heaton just being an example) do you think this is wise?
[4K^Darth] - Well, if they can get used to it I think it's very good, probably better then their own sensitivity 6, so I would say Go for it & HANGLOOSE /me does hand signal q:D
How would you compare the Dutch CS scene to that in the UK?
[4K^Darth] - In the old days the Clanbase UK ladder was where most people looked at the UK ladder, everybody looked up at UK clans at that time can't really explain it probably because their nicks were just way cool. Now, I get the feeling the Dutch is still very immature. A lot of potential though we have seen that various nation cups. There is a lack of really big sponsors and very big competitions. Number #1 clans in the Netherlands don't really seem to last but I'm not an expert about the Dutch scene, I'm afraid just judging it from a distance.
Looking at the upcoming year, there's a lot of LAN events especially in France, if we did another interview a year from now, what do you think you would've accomplished?
[4K^Darth] - Depends, I'm sure we can do really well at all upcoming LANs if we prepare, we just started playing online again after a few months of PCW inactivity and we really need to boost ourselves to our old level and then practice some more q:D. Individually I hope I can play more consistent I'm lacking in-games a bit these days way too impatient and being patient is essential since CS has become such a slow game these days >:(
Counter-Strike Version 1.6! Have you played it if so, what do u think, if not, what do you hope/expect from the latest version?
[4K^Darth] - Yeh I played it yesterday for the first time smokes grenades have been improved in a very good way, not sure how the riot shield will change the game, think it will slow the game down even more. Was a bit let down as I heard they were gonna put the old jumping/speed system back in which did not happen, have not tried the new maps/guns yet. I'll just wait and see.
Do you look upon the beta 5.2 days fondly and wish they'd simply left the game alone since then?
[4K^Darth] - Nah, Counter-Strike would have died without the updates, I really enjoyed 1.3 but also 1.3 had bad things like shit hitboxes. It's been Goosemans & Cliffe's project for several years now I'm sure they got more experience in making decisions like that than me q:D
If it were your decision though, what would you change about CS?
[4K^Darth] - Old jumping + fast weapon switch + faster walkspeed. But its never gonna happen because it would create a big difference between skilled & newblettes. One more thing q:D, a proper crosshair for once just a simple dot would do. Also the old jumping (+sv_airaccelerate 2 / sv_airmore 0) + fast weapon switch + faster walkspeed + a proper crosshair (dot)
Does the constant name changing from {nr} > b!tch > 4k > I-eS > 4k bother you? How do sponsorships from AMD/Gainward/Intel etc. affect your gameplay?
[4K^Darth] Nah, like a famous poet once said "What's in a name?" We are still the same cool bunch & thanks to our sponsor (Intel) and previous ones we can attend more LANs and grow as a team.
Do your 'real life' friends know what you do?, and how do they feel about it?
[4K^Darth] - Just a couple of 'em, and they think it’s pretty cool since I travel loads and go to places all over the world and meet new people and cultures. My family all know about it too, probably because my dad is very proud of me and is a big fan q:D. And the team's results have been in several newspapers, I also got invited by our city mayor to the annual city festival as a VIP, although I was a bit lazy and mailed her I could not come q:D. I don't bring it up as an item to talk about with friends who don't know anything about it. I do the normal chit-chat CS already 'controls' a big part of my life, she can't have it all q:D.
Speaking of your dad, he has become a bit of a character himself while your at LAN events, most people would love a parent to be so supportive, do you think your dad's action/attitude is different to that of other parents? If so, why?
[4K^Darth] - Yeh, he's on teamspeak with e.g. Mud (lil's brother) and follows www.ukterrorist.com / www.sogamed.com / www.esreality.com to keep up with all the results & happenings and also likes to watch HL-TV when we are playing. He's probably more open towards it as he’s got a different view compared to most parents, he's in the computer business himself for instance, and he has seen what I did for me.
Ok, coming to the end of the interview now, time for you to give UKT a scoop about you or 4k, something no-one else knows.
[4K^Darth] - My dear friend Stuart Harriman has shotgunned
my sister and they will marry sometime next year. Everyone is invited at my shack in Winterswijk.
Finally any comments to the millions of PB wannabes out there?
[4K^Darth] - Never go to a CPL Qualifier with incidentally forgetting to tell your parents. Life your Life, Hangloose q:D.
Comments
Saviour of UKT
UKTerrorist
23:00 6/2/2003
23:21 6/2/2003
His trip to slough is pure genius though :> [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
theb0g
23:34 6/2/2003
23:34 6/2/2003
23:35 6/2/2003
Reason cause I f*** up 18 or 19 = I should have gotten my drivers license when I was 18 but its taken me ages so after 1,5 years I’m still doing it but I keep forgetting so I think hmmm no drivers license so, -> 18 [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
RemOte.uK
23:41 6/2/2003
meatyballs
23:42 6/2/2003
Anti-saviour of UKT
23:43 6/2/2003
Online Multiplayer Gaming
23:46 6/2/2003
3 hours asleep in the grass? lol jesus Kwak, suprised no1 stole anything ;) [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
23:53 6/2/2003
Last Chance
00:06 7/2/2003
quite a marathon read :D [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
Head Arse
UKTerrorist
00:15 7/2/2003
And those 2 stories were damn funny, who the hell wanders outside an airport, then falls asleep in the grass? [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
00:24 7/2/2003
Last Chance
00:27 7/2/2003
00:27 7/2/2003
besides that he's a really cool guy yea :d [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
eSports.Edge
01:19 7/2/2003
02:13 7/2/2003
02:20 7/2/2003
unicon.cs
05:50 7/2/2003
fluid element
06:07 7/2/2003
:x [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
07:46 7/2/2003
gj rich and pb [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
08:18 7/2/2003
Sniper's Alley
08:29 7/2/2003
08:42 7/2/2003
LMAO ... god, I got tears on me face now :) [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
08:43 7/2/2003
LOL @ slough :D [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
08:52 7/2/2003
09:25 7/2/2003
d:D <-- wicked smiley :D
fit sister :o [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
09:32 7/2/2003
09:58 7/2/2003
Think you did well staying when i left. I took some stuff too serious back then and realise that now. Im more layed back now but wouldnt wanna "get back into it" again as i simply dont have the time and interest.
Nice interview, keep it up and goodluck in paris. [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
09:58 7/2/2003
10:12 7/2/2003
10:17 7/2/2003
theb0g
11:18 7/2/2003
pb = most famous purely coz of his ownage smilies
lolll [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
11:23 7/2/2003
12:14 7/2/2003
q:D
^^ mint smiley [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
12:38 7/2/2003
Specster
12:54 7/2/2003
HANDBRAKEITMATE [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
14:54 7/2/2003
Great job Myers and Kwak, we love u! :D [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
fluid element
15:08 7/2/2003
as if, b****** went 2 cinema without me, made me go with the mrs.
Don't beleive the mr nice guy image, its all a front.
I'LL NEVER FORGET! [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
15:51 7/2/2003
glad to see the sir_neemz vibe still hangs strong, even though my name was spelt with an UPPER CASE.
darth is indeed one of the true players and i am somewhat sad that i never did get to meet this upstanding fine young gentleman in the flesh properly. thanks for the free plug for my site which was taken down 6 months ago to avoid police precidings but is now currently in redevelopment by a third party (tom) bringing some brighton mad skillz into the arena.
respect. [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
15:54 7/2/2003
at heart jonny, the genius, neffgen is a businessman and i was getting stale in 4K.cs and was messing around so i essentially got booted out, during this process i joined noc and got back into it again so we could beat them in the qualifiers, then noc went s*** cos we didn't practice and boy we got f***ed at the cpl, haha.
the good old days of being a dirty sweating greasy pro gaming student. these days have long since passed, keep it real, and HANDBRAKEITMATE!!!! [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
16:54 7/2/2003
http://www.handbrakeitmate.com/ -- back from the dead in around a month [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
17:01 7/2/2003
I'm sure u doing well! Keep it real dude q:D [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
Game2XS.Monkey Magic
18:40 7/2/2003
19:12 7/2/2003
19:44 7/2/2003
my old clanm8s from COTK (now www.turdz.net) just popped by so weird, esp since they are from the UK (Mi6-hero & Duncan) tomoz they'll all come together at my cousins place, well good [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
23:45 7/2/2003
12:32 8/2/2003
16:13 8/2/2003
Spot on I think Ross, although for the longest time I would say you and Liquid were the glue that held 4K together in games. Awaiting the return of handbrakeitmate.com... [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
14:52 10/2/2003
Stay Tuned though it will be happening!!! [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
05:39 13/2/2003
What you been up too? I quit cs quite a time ago aswell..
Good to see you're bringing the "handbrakeitmate" tradition back to life and remind mr. Tom(snarc) that he owes me 30 quid for a certain mobile phone website he forgot to bill the customer for! [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
13:10 15/2/2003
Maybe i'd have been a pro-gamer if i had taken my chance way back when, Instead ive now made my money and can put full focus on to counter-strike if i wished.. Respect that you have juggled studying around CS and made it work. I know not mentioning any names, people who have put CS first and stuffed up there real lifes.. I actually was idl'ing in IRC about a year ago when people were taking exams school/college and playing CS until 1:30-2am then wondering why they could aim like HeatoN and get acedemical results like m0ng0..
I hope i play you one day m8 after i have formed or joined a clan but until then i will be the Legend known as SunShip [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
21:31 19/2/2003
COME BACK TO US!
you too craig :) [ Comment: Report | IP: Logged ]
21:08 5/3/2003
14:21 3/4/2003