I hadn’t thought about Netrek in a long time, since there are more flashy multiplayer games around these days (e.g. Half-Life TeamFortress). I can’t remember how many late nights I spent in the Eos labs at NCSU playing Netrek, but I’m certain that 14 of the Freshmen 15 I put on came from eating too many Gumby’s Pokey Stix^™ during those sessions.

According to my friend Jeff, some of the same people still play. I hope that those same people at least have some semblance of a life nowadays and that Netrek is merely a “diversion”. One thing’s to be sure: if you get your butt kicked, it will be by someone who is of a similar age. The same cannot be said of playing TeamFortress, where the average age is around 12.