«Yggdrasil» consider the GM's choices and the racing talent at the European Combine and Draft

«Yggdrasil» hope to don the Berlin attire again in 2008.Photo: Philippe Vaillant

Name:
Philippe Vaillant

Position:
PGR 3 player

About the author
Philippe Vaillant was the first draft pick for Berlin Allianz during the 2007 European Draft. The racing game fanatic is twenty years old.

Reading the title name, one could think it does deal with a debate between the experienced players from Season 1 in the Championship Gaming Series, and those newcomers in the league, full of skill and the urge-to-win in their blood.

Actually, it is not really about who is going to win the second US season this summer, or even the World Championship later on, for this or that reason. Taking the example of the North America championship, it was really interesting to wonder what was going to happen when Season 1 came to an end.

Were the franchises going to change massively for the new season? Despite some bad results, would some players be kept by their General Managers, with those GMs giving them a second chance? With such a major league like CGS is, one has to believe that GMs' job is to pick the most skilled players they can find in the combine, and this does not apply only for the North America obviously.

What I call experience I'll will show you with this example: Anyone who has heard of the CGS does now know about the controversy there can be with the compLexity team and their DOA Female player, «belle». Jason Lake picked her in the first season, all right, he made a choice. Season 2: a lot of DOA females are still on the line, waiting anxiously to get picked by Mr.Lake who was going to choose a DOA Female.

He chose «belle» once again.

One could argue that she was not the right pick, that even the «compLexity» taxi player would bring more points to the franchise thanks to her skill, among other reasons. Yet, he did that choice. This example aims to illustrate what some would call being a stupid move. However, I would call it pride.

All General Managers from all the world franchises did have a hard time building up their team for the Season1. Coming into the second season, it means changes are probably going to be made, for every team to be stronger. Yet, with only 1 player
change in the 2008 compLexity roster, even though Jason Lake did not even bring his team to the North American playoffs in Season 1, one has to wonder if compLexity has the potential to bring the pain in a few months. What appears to me obviously is
that a General Manager must be proud of his choices made at the start of the CGS, and can't see himself letting his players down, without giving them a second chance, a chance to prove their worth. But as Celine Dion sings, «This time is the last
time». «Belle's» example is the one which come to mind instantaneously, no offense to her or the compLexity team of course.

Good luck to coL this season to show their detractors they were wrong.

It is now only a matter of days until the 2008 European Combine and Draft. Heading into it come many questions in mind. This year is going to be a lot tougher for the racers to show how it is done. Spanish, French, German, or even racers from Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands are planning to attend the tournament to impress the GMs, who will obviously look for the real gems. New names like «DaRk RaCeR», «Patohm», «Fullspeed» and «Bryce» should not go unnoticed and will battle with the veterans as «Finpro», «Madness» and I are to get drafted in Stockholm or Berlin and get paid as a new CGS Pro.

Many names for a few selections, this is the tough story. Will »FinPro» and I be protected in Berlin? Or even «Madness» in Stockholm («Kinetic» is not attending)?

No one can say for sure, and that is the main reason I do personally practice as most as possible, whether it is with «FinPro» aka the Finnish Berliner, or even others like «Bryce» (we are both best friends in real life), or even again sometimes with «random» players there is no chance to be with in a team, like «Stune» from MiNT, to do as many
2v2 as possible. Anything is a good practice, as long as the Forza2 disc is running in my Xbox 360.

What comes in mind when writing about the upcoming draft, is that the former 2007 players, that's to say «Madness», «FinPro» and I, are practicing really much, more, a lot more than anyone else in Europe, no doubt. «Bryce» is motivated 200% to get a
spot though, hopefully making a Forza duo with me of course, or even playing for the Stockholm franchise, and is practicing as a Pro-gamer wanna-be has to. The three of us would like, love, or even want (!) their respective General Manager to protect
their racers, or get redrafted if the GMs say otherwise.

In the past weeks, I personally have been practicing with «Bryce» and «FinPro», scrimming a lot of 2v2, whether it is against North American teams, or UK teams, or even European players. I have to say «FinPro» and I are really confident heading to
the combine, thanks to all the hard work we have been doing and the results we had (whether it is together or each respectively with «Madness» and «Bryce»), and we are looking forward showing how to take a TVR out off the track in the upcoming days.

The pride phenomenon should come into play, but the 2007 European racers are not willing it to be the main reason to be racing another season in the Champonship Gaming Series.


Skill 1 - 0 Experience

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PS:

Racers from all over the world can give their opinion. Who do you think will be
the 2008 European duos, or even UK to get a better debate? Who rocks? Who's trash?