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Edit history:
Darkwing Duck: 2011-08-08 03:39:51 am
Highly Evolved
Since Mike won't let me do the other thread, I might as well get started on this one.

First off, it'll probably never be said enough, but much, much love to Denton and Kari.  Denton is a complete workhorse and deserves to be serenaded by Spikevegeta in grand fashion.

Secondly, shout out to the first night crew.  I've never had as much fun playing and watching video games as I did during that block.  I could go hours playing and watching if Aftermath (rar), Arrow, Dessy, theseawolf1, and puwexil were commentating and around.

I've also never had as much fun discussing video games than the second night.  Shout out to Aftermath (RAR) and fellow duck, duckfist.  I think it was around 10 to 11 PM when we started.  I looked up once and it was 2 AM.  Looked up again and it was 4 AM.  I've never remembered time going by so quickly.

Big shout out to SPIKEVEGETA.  Thank you for letting us know exactly where you were at ALL times.  Cheesy  Don't think I saw anything but a smile on your face the entire time you were here.  Great stuff.

Much love toward Piewexil for both the pie and commentating on my runs. 

Shout out to Kubelwagon for enduring during Kirby's Epic Pun...err...Yarn.

Shout out to Feasel for awesome games and carrying the two player Castle Crashers. 

Shout out to dunnius for getting Jman up here.  It wouldn't have been a perfect ending without him.

Shout out to Piewexil and romscout for being as tall or shorter than I am.  Cheesy

Did I mention much love to Denton and Kari?

I said it on the stream, but much love to donation and prize trackers and the tech crew, who were pretty much the same guys.  Despite the hiccup, we did great.

I believe more came to mind at work tonight, but I can't remember them now that I'm home.  I'll post them should I remember them.

EDIT:  And I don't know if the avatar choice is perfect or completely the opposite.
Thread title:  
Quits halfway
Firstly, the biggest thanks to Denton and Essentia, none of this would have happened without you and you're by far the best hosts I've ever stayed with. Beyond driving us, cooking for us, cleaning up after us, it was a lot of fun to talk with Denton and I'll be sure to somehow try out Masters of Orion. I didn't interact with Essentia as much, but she was always really nice and helpful. Thanks again for letting us use your house and good luck with catching up on sleep.

Secondly, shout outs to the wolf blanket I was using pretty much the entire marathon. <3

Arrow - Was great meeting you and watching your runs (especially TJ&E2). I think you were awake the most of anyone at the marathon and did a great job on both commentary and helping with donation tracking. I'm going to have to watch Katamari when it's up, if only to see how you could play when there was a disco party going on directly behind you.

Brossentia - I'm glad Essentia is pushing you into the speedrun community, you were always excited with what was being played and willing to sing about it at the drop of a hat. I didn't catch the marathon run of Mirro's Edge, but I really enjoyed watching your playthrough on the first day and having everything explained really clearly. Hope you stick around SDA so I can look forward to seeing you at future marathons.

Darkwing Duck - I reciprocate everything you said, first night was amazing and as I was telling everyone (without prompting), probably my favorite block to watch for the gameplay.Shout out to second night convo as well, probably one of the most interesting I've had and now I understand korean characters a bit more. Korean restaurant on Wednesday was amazing, props to us for speedrunning the food and water supply. Your new flavor text is great, rar.

Dessyreqt - Your hat was awesome. I don't think I talked to you all that much, but I really enjoyed watching Super Metroid.

Duckfist - Like with Darkwing, there's too much to say. Really enjoyed your runs and you were pretty much the first person I looked for to talk to during downtime. Oh, and the dancing. That game you liked was ninja karakuri den, just as a reminder.

Dunnius - Didn't talk with you a whole lot, but enjoyed the MM1 and Metal Gear runs, idk how you can menu so quickly. Props for driving Jman and having an adorable dog.

feasel - As I said when I was leaving, I'm a big fan of your runs, so was great to watch you run stuff live. Amazing work in Snake Rattle n Roll and Limbo, which was a lot more interesting than I thought it'd be.

Gombill - I don't think I caught many of your runs, but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you streaming and be sure to pop into the chat. Hopefully it didn't come off as too weird that I looked forward to SM64 despite not running it.

Nitrodon - You probably don't remember me :P, but was fun chatting with you and watching Cave Story. I'm still amazed at how quickly you beat 4-7 after the entire room failed it.

Opario - Big thanks for the private screening of SotC, that game is an amazing watch. The strategies are really diverse and looked extremely tricky with how finicky the guy was at losing his balance, although it looked like you had more marathon luck than actual mistakes.

Puwexil - Pretty much felt like meeting an old friend. Really happy that KH2 won the war. Will talk to you in skype and stuff.

romscout - pfft

Shadowdrake - Was nice meeting and talking with you, I'm glad you had fun watching stuff and I'll add you on xbla soon's as I unpack my controller. I know you wanted to see the Soma bonus stream, you can watch it here: http://www.justin.tv/speeddemosarchivesda/b/292038899

SPIKEVEGETA - MVP OF SDA YOU ARE THE BEST FOREVER

Tranquilite - Didn't talk with you much, but VVVVVV is always fun to watch. And thanks for letting us use your computer, I'm so glad things weren't done with laptops.

UltraJman - I now see why you have so many fans. Really glad you could make it up and it was fun talking with you that last day (with the sunrise and junk).

UraniumAnchor - Hmm, there's a lot to say and idk if I can do it without it sounding really generic. It was always a blast doing donation stuff with you and you were really helpful at troubleshooting pretty much everything. Sorry that the recording setup ended in disaster, but let me know if there's any way I can help with getting them from justin.tv to SDA downloads. I'll be sure to watch your future Blaster Master attempts.

Zyre - You have so many things O_o  Really enjoyed talking with you at the restaurant and marathon, your commentary and runs were awesome as well. SoA SS for next marathon.


I think that's pretty much all of them. As anyone who heard me doing plugs and donation comments, I'm pretty bad with words so hopefully these convey how awesome it was to meet you all. Really looking forward to future marathons with you guys.
I'll start like everyone else (and probably everyone after me, too!) by giving major thanks to our hosts Essentia and her wife Denton. They are such awesome people, and I felt right at home in their, well, home! Thanks so much for all you guys did, and I particularly want to thank Denton for all the cooking he did.

In general, I just had a ton of fun at this marathon. I was crazy nervous going in the first place (I'm quite shy), but I felt really welcome when I showed up. I particularly want to thank spikevegeta and Aftermath for introducing themselves and talking to me a little right when I showed up (I bet you guys don't remember Tongue ). It helped me feel for comfortable, which is appreciated.

Now for specific shoutouts:

spikevegeta - Dude, you're awesome. I had tons of fun talking to you, and watching your runs. Your such a nice and entertaining guy. I had a lot of fun talking to you and JMan about Kingdom Hearts and movies and stuff that second night, 'twas a ton of fun, and KH2 was, well, I don't have to say, do I?

JMan - Had a lot of fun talking to you throughout the marathon, and in general you're just a really cool guy. And all the puns during Epic Yarn. . . well, it was good times Cheesy

Opario - We're friends IRL, so I could just talk to him, but I'll still say this here: I was glad you could come! It's too bad Riven didn't work out, but I hear SotC was amazing. I feel really bad I didn't stay up to watch it, but I just HAD to sleep to play Minish Cap, so sorry! I'll watch the recorded version for sure. And great job with Sephiroth, by the way!

Duckfist - I love watching your Mega Man runs, they are very impressive (I, of course, and terrible at Mega Man!). You were also a really great guy to talk to, I really enjoyed talking about Final Fantasy Tactics with a fellow fan of the game, I don't get to do that too often!

Brossentia - What a great debut! I think everyone, both in the house and in the chat, loved you. Your Rayman commentary was awesome, and I really enjoyed the Mirror's Edge run. All in all you are just an awesome guy. Hope you stick around!

Piewexil - I didn't really talk to you much, but I loved watching your KH2 run, and I really enjoyed watching you and spikevegeta practicing KH2. Wish I'd have talked to you more!

and a big final shoutout to the guys who ran the computers and helped everything go so smoothly. You know who you are!

And to all I didn't mention: I love you too! I wish I'd have talked to more people, but that's not my strong point. Either way, I loved watching every run I could, and it was great just getting to hang out around so many awesome people. This marathon was really great, and while I won't be at AGDQ most likely, I'm really hoping to go to the next summer marathon!
Edit history:
Axel Ryman: 2011-08-08 01:12:57 pm
We all scream for Eyes Cream
I may not have been there but I wanna make comments from a viewers POV.


JMan and Opario: I kept saying this in the chat but you guys should of been looking for me there to help with advice! I was almost spamming the chat to tell you guys to use Reflect and Trinity during the fire pillars. I also would of saved you the 2 hours of trying to find that AI loop as well. Tongue

JMan specifically: REGROW THE GOATEE, I ALMOST DIDN'T REALIZE WHO YOU WERE!!!! Grats on beating Sephiroth 1st try btw.


Spikevegeta: Your commentary is awesome, and if I decide on doing Final Mix Beginner Mode SS, I want you, Puwexil, and Jman as guest commentators. If anything, we'll sing Disney songs. About that guy you said looked exactly like me and sounded exactly like me, had I known that was you I would of went with you to Essentia's place as I wanted to get away from my other priorities. Or you just found my doppleganger. Tongue I would of loved to go but I couldn't. You better come to AGDQ so we can race KH2 in the practice room, and/or watch me go insane from practicing Critical Mode(The more I play, the more I don't wanna do it!). Should come by my streams when I'm doing KH2, just pay attention to the thread.

Piewexil:

Tongue Couldn't resist. Great run on KH2!


Essentia: Thank you for opening your home for this event, and good job on the blindfold fights! Birth By Blindfold was the perfect name for it. With that hoodie on, I came up with a better name than Exssentia: Sateensxi.


Exssentia sounds better still though. Tongue
No pain, no gain
Hey, everyone! If you don't know me, I'm Brossentia. I've kinda been a lurker around here for a while, but I had a good enough time that I think it's time to start coming out of the shadows a bit more.  I love going to huge events, but it's always strange to have that weird emptiness after everything is over -- you know, everything was fun, but you just want a bit more.  It's much stranger to have something like that happen at your own house; things are almost back to normal, but the house just feels a bit different.

I've already started to work on improved routes for Mirror's Edge.  I'm gonna work my butt off trying to get something ready for this site.  So don't expect me to just disappear Smiley

With that being said, here are my shoutouts:

Spikevegeta -- You are a nut, and that's a good thing.  I didn't expect to have anyone here crazier than myself, but you proved me wrong.  Thanks for letting me join you with the Rayman 2 narration, even if neither of us could do a proper Chewbacca Cheesy

Piewexil, theseawolf1, and feasel -- Our trip to the Kennecott Copper Mine was awesome!  I'm glad all of you lingered around for a while to do extra streams, even if Chip and Dale and NSMBWii both involved the players repeatedly killing each other.  I wonder if we could measure the good times in whales...

UraniumAnchor -- Thanks for being the hardcore man to keep things running.  I really enjoyed watching Master Blaster; I'd never seen that game before, but I really want to play it now.

Aftermath -- I saw you around with that wolf blanket all the time.  Made me grin xD.  You did a lot of work at odd hours of the night, and things ran much smoother with your help.

Raen -- Thank you so much for the encouragement when I was running!  I was terrified, especially since I knew others had played the game, but such a positive reaction to the run really helped me enjoy how I did despite the flaws throughout.

Gombill -- Sorry I giggled during SM64 so much.  I just loved every second of it Smiley

JMan -- You are also nuts.  Such a good runner, yet you are very open to accepting others.  Just keep rockin', man!

Romscout -- You were so dedicated to, like, everything.  The marathon would have been much rougher without you around.  Thanks for all the help and awesome runs!

Neighbor Dude -- You're probably not gonna read this, but thanks for the disco ball and the afro xD

Finally, thanks to Essentia and Denton for letting me sleep on your bedroom floor, even if the babies attacked me during the night.

If I missed you, I'm sorry.  There are just so many people, and it's hard to keep track of everyone.  Again, thank you for creating such a positive atmosphere for a n00b.  I hope SGDQ happens again Cheesy
Edit history:
mikwuyma: 2011-08-08 02:52:29 pm
My feelings on The Demon Rush
I'll have real shoutouts later, despite not being there :(, but OAR had nothing but great things to say about us.

Here's what the Community Outreach director, Allison Gilmour, had to say.

Quote:
Hi Mike,



I hope you’re recovering from your event this weekend, it looks like it was a great success!  I cannot express how grateful we are at OAR that you chose us as the benefitting charity.  The amount of money you raised is significant for us, it is almost enough to fund an entire research study.  Thank you.  Because of volunteer fundraisers like you, we are able to continue funding research that looks at the interventions that can be used right now to increase quality of life for people with autism.



I would like to thank the many people who contributed.  If it is okay with you, I can send a thank you email to the addresses provided by PayPal. (Mike's note: I okayed this) Let me know if you’re comfortable with this.  I want to make sure people know how much we appreciate the support! 


The executive director, Michael V. Maloney, then had this to say.

Quote:
Mike,



I’m the Executive Director for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR).  Allison Gilmour on my staff has kept me informed on the video game marathon since she and you first discussed it, and she was thrilled to report its incredible success to me when I arrived at OAR this morning.  Thank you and all your marathon participants.  The near $20,000 raised this weekend is almost enough to fund one or OAR’s research studies all by itself.  I can assure all your participants and you that we will put the money to immediate use in support of OAR’s research and information programs.  Thanks again for inviting OAR to be the benefitting charity.


After I responded, Allison then had this crazy awesome proposal.

Quote:
Hi Mike,

As you know, we fund studies each year of up to $30,000.  As a thank you for this impressive fundraising effort, would you be interested to have a Speed Demo Archives sponsored study?  We would give you the titles and abstracts of the selected grant recipients and you could choose the study.  If this is meaningful and interesting to your organization we would love to make it happen!  If it doesn’t interest you, we won’t be offended.  Let me know your thoughts!  Thank you!


I'm personally honored, and I think everyone who participated in the marathon would be too. Smiley
Edit history:
UraniumAnchor: 2011-08-08 03:23:40 pm
UraniumAnchor: 2011-08-08 03:23:02 pm
Not a walrus
Cheesy

Essentia and Essentia's Wife Denton, first and foremost, for being such awesome hosts. Not only for letting us take over their house (and don't kid yourself that's exactly what we did), but also providing an absolute mountain of food and snacks for us to consume for the weekend. I think I ruined my sugar budget for the next month.

Romscout for being one of the men behind the machines for most of the marathon. I think he manned the donation machine more than anybody else, at least while I was awake. And for not giving up on the Richter skip and punching Golamath (or whatever his name is I can never remember).

Tranquilite for providing a streaming machine that worked quite well, Easycap-related bluescreen notwithstanding.

Zyre for helping to get everything set up, even if we did have a cabling mishap.

Anybody else who helped run the streaming and donation machines that I'm not mentioning. And anybody who was using my laptop (which ended up being one of the chat monitoring machines) without breaking it.

Puwexil for providing commentary during my run and taking that pie in the face like a champ. And for bookending the marathon by both starting and ending on the couch.

Anybody and everybody who provided equipment for the marathons. I think I lost one of my Y-splitters, though. Sad

Anybody who donated money. Once again most of the donations were under $50 and we still broke our original goal and then some.

Everybody who attended. This is the second time I've attended one of these events and I'm always amazed at how well a room full of people who have never met each other IRL (for the most part) can get along so well.
difficult and stupidly random
So I'm not great at shoutouts, love, etc.  But I feel strongly compelled to post here and thank our hosts Essentia and Denton for inviting us into your home and providing so so so much support.  Huge thanks for converting your house into marathon central.  Thanks for all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, transportation, and non-stop problem-solving.  All this done with minimal sleep, while simultaneously looking after two kids (or 25 kids, depending on how you look at it).  The whole time I was there, I felt very taken-care-of, like someone was looking out for me, and this made for a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.  I can't think of a better marathon setup.  Thank you so much for that.

(P.S.  Big ups to my In-N-Out Burger crew.  We shoulda asked if chicken sammich was on the secret menu...)
Weegee Time
I didn't get to stick around for much of the marathon this time around, but shoutouts to everyone for managing to break another donation goal.  Raising another $20k is great!

Out of what I was able to watch, shoutout to Arrow for playing a mean game of DK '94.  Watching it brought back so many memories of being a kid and struggling with that game.  I need to go find a copy at some point and play it myself.

Looking forward to some of the videos to go up as well, like Mirror's Edge. :]
I'm addicted to games
Quote from mikwuyma:
I'll have real shoutouts later, despite not being there :(, but OAR had nothing but great things to say about us.

Quote:
Hi Mike,

As you know, we fund studies each year of up to $30,000.  As a thank you for this impressive fundraising effort, would you be interested to have a Speed Demo Archives sponsored study?  We would give you the titles and abstracts of the selected grant recipients and you could choose the study.  If this is meaningful and interesting to your organization we would love to make it happen!  If it doesn’t interest you, we won’t be offended.  Let me know your thoughts!  Thank you!


I'm personally honored, and I think everyone who participated in the marathon would be too. Smiley


Just make sure they get the site name correct, please!
Edit history:
mikwuyma: 2011-08-09 12:26:10 pm
My feelings on The Demon Rush
Radix, you're in luck, I corrected Allison about our name, and this is what she had to say.

Quote:
Hi Mike,

Not rude at all- thanks for correcting me!  I’m working on a press release to post on the website and email to OAR supporters.  Can you help me understand how the event worked?  My basic understanding is that people played classic video games as fast as possible.  Is this correct?  What did people bid on?  Also, we will do an article in the September newsletter so our newsletter editor will be in touch with you.

I’m so glad you like the idea of sponsoring a study!  Here’s an overview of the study selection process.  Researchers submit pre-proposals which are reviewed by OAR’s scientific council.  The top pre-proposals are asked to submit full proposals.  Each full proposal is reviewed by scientific council members and other autism professionals.  The final stage of the grant competition happens in October at the scientific council and board meeting.  They will select the grant winners.  We will send you the abstracts for the grant winners and you can choose which study you would like to study.

Thank you!
that Metroidvania guy
Looks like I'm a bit late to the party on this thread. That's awesome news from OAR, Mike. I'd also be honored in SDA having a sponsored study.

I've been to every SDA marathon so far, and this was perhaps the most fun I've had at one. Everyone definitely blew away my expectations. It's too bad that it had to end quicker than usual, but at least it was longer than CGDQ. I hope we have this next year too! There was something about being with this smaller group that just made it feel like I was closer with everybody than at AGDQ (yes, I know it makes total sense and probably didn't need to be stated). I enjoyed seeing everyone I knew from AGDQ again, but especially loved meeting all the people who were new to me. There were plenty of unexpected AMAZING moments on this trip, such as clearing out the Korean restaurant, singing way more than I was prepared to throughout the event (SGDQ soundtrack ftw!), the disco ball, donors bidding on SDA's official name for a chicken in a bun (I need to make that edit to the FAQ still, d'oh!), a TAS being the only run that got mercy killed, and so much more. Like usual, I left with a lot more friends and wishing it didn't have to end.

Shoutouts to everyone in no particular order (except for the first):

Essentia and Denton, as everyone else has noted, are seriously the best hosts ever. Like, no one else I've stayed with has come even close. That 25 dollars we paid to stay surely didn't even come close to covering the mountains of food we had throughout the marathon. I hope that all of us were good enough guests that you might consider hosting this again next year, but even if you don't, I'm extremely thankful for you deciding to have this one. Also, your children are absolutely adorable.

Aftermath was a champion behind the computers for most of the marathon and helped out a lot. Sorry I couldn't fit your camera in my luggage... I'm almost as sorry about that as I am about not being able to take Mighty Flip Champs home with me. Sad

Tranquilite, Zyre, and UraniumAnchor also get huge props for marathon setup and technical maintenance. This whole thing wouldn't have been even close to as smooth without their sacrifices. Great job from all of you!

Arrow really stepped up his A-game for both his runs and when doing commentary, as I mentioned at the end of the marathon. You did just as good a job here as you did at AGDQ, and I'm thankful for it. You are also a really cool dude to hang around with.

I'm glad JMan was able to make it, because something definitely would've been missing from the marathon without his presence, and I don't mean the Ninja Gaiden run. Thanks for being willing to sacrifice time watching some of the Rayman 2 comedy so we could practice KSS and add donation incentives for it, and then proceeding to put up with all my bickering during the run. Wink

Big thanks to Dunnius, and not just for making a huge detour on his trip to grab JMan. His addition to the Mega Man block was decided on just a few days before the marathon, and he stepped up and performed nicely considering that. He definitely delivered with his runs and dealt with them much better than I'd expect a marathon rookie to do. Great job!

Soikevegeta, I sure hope you get into the acting career you want. You are definitely a naturally gifted performer. You are definitely a star at SDA now and I hope you can make it to more marathons. It didn't take very long after meeting you at the airport to warm up to you, and the entire rest of the trip was a lot more fun because of you. I'm glad the Rayman 2 voice thing happened. That was more than worth it.

DW, thanks for taking us to the Korean place and just generally being friendly throughout the marathon. It's too bad I was sleeping during EVO, because I enjoy the game and would've really loved to watch it live.

Adam Dunn (Piewexil), you may not make 15 million dollars a year playing games like your doppleganger, but you sure put up a good argument for deserving it. If you only do one run ever at an SDA marathon (and yes, I know you're doing FF7 fo AGDQ), you should be proud it was this one. The epic comeback and close victory in KH2 was the perfect end to the marathon. Also, as usual you were really calm and friendly toward everyone throughout the marathon and I'm thankful for that.

Gombill, I watch SM64 streams a lot and have kinda become desensitized to the tricks in it, but that didn't stop me from being completely speechless for most of your 70 star run. It's a lot more awesome seeing the run in person rather than just on a stream. I also loved watching Quake 2 despite not knowing a thing about running it. Thanks for showing up and providing those awesome runs!

Dessy, you have some amazing songs on your phone... whhhhhhhhhyyyyyyy!!!! I Am The Wind practice was hilarious. Also, I was looking forward to the SM 100% run the entire marathon, and you definitely put on a show. You were really fun to be around for the whole marathon, and I'm glad you could make it.

Reaif, your LttP run was amazing and I'm glad all the practice for it paid off. It's unfortunate that you were only around for the last day, but that day was probably the most fun so whatev.

Brossentia, you were amazing for a marathon rookie. You were always so upbeat and watching your Mirror's Edge run was awesome. Just make sure to practice the hardest jump in the game more... all 75 of them!

Feasel, you were chill as always. I don't think I ever watched Snake Rattle n Roll as intently as I did this time, and man, that game looks crazy fun to speed run even though I know how bad the controls are firsthand. Also, Castle Crashers could've been you and 3 dummies vs. everyone else in the room and you might've won. Good job.

Duckfist, it was an honor seeing you Mega Man it up in person. You are also in constant chill mode, which is nice. I'm glad we had a lot of people who weren't very stressful at all. Also lol @ your tiny LCD. That thing was awesome. How was the zombie filled crawl space, after all?

seawolf, I didn't talk to you as much as I would've liked, but it was nice joking around with you about SotN sometimes and I'm glad your runs were more entertaining than people anticipated. I would've really liked to watch Demon's Crest, but alas, gotta sleep sometime. You also brought up some really good points about the Organization for Autism Research that made me think about things a bit differently as the marathon closed, so thanks for that. You definitely helped make the trip better.

Nitrodon, very nice run on Cave Story, especially considering how long it had been since you played regularly. The final cave was amazing. Hopefully your run made a few people want to try out the game once again. Also, you're absolutely crazy at Mighty Flip Champs, solving 4-7 that fast lol.

Kubelwagon, sorry that we pretty much ruined your commentary somewhat in L4D2. It's unfortunate that the speakers didn't work. It was really fun seeing you do Kirby: NiDL though and commentating on it. You put up a much better performance than what was at AGDQ, in my opinion. I know you didn't talk a whole lot, but I had fun when I was around you during the marathon and I appreciate your presence there.

Raen, I'm surprised more people didn't confuse you with Rane in the chat lol. Sorry if I didn't give you a very welcoming introduction since Castle Crashers was about to start when you arrived, but I'm glad you warmed up to everyone quickly anyway. Your Minish Cap run was absolutely impressive up until the final castle, but I guess now you know to practice EVERYTHING for a marathon run. Good job persevering through the struggles and finishing the run. You also had some great commentary on other games and you did really well for a marathon rookie.

Opario, sorry that your SotC run only had like, 2 people in the room. Sad I hope you have a lot of fun in Japan and keep in contact with us! It was really nice having you in the marathon room, even during the Riven fiasco lol. Also, you and J figuring out Sephiroth at a low level so fast was absolutely clutch. I applaud you for that once again.

DarkKobold, congrats on the MM3 comeback after the nervous, rough start. You really helped kick off the races on a good note, especially after our computer crashing twice trying to set it up lol. I also have to thank you for bringing that little cardboard box that almost could (curse you, Burger King!!!!), as I'll admit I didn't have very high expectations for reception to that coming into the marathon. I think it's safe to say that people were thoroughly entertained by it, and especially with the failure at the end lol. I hope you enjoyed your time at the marathon and definitely wouldn't mind seeing you at another.

Finally, a big shoutout to Mike Uyama. This was perhaps a little downplayed as the marathon was going on, but he definitely helped a lot with organizing this, especially as far as scheduling goes and staying in contact with the charity. You definitely have some responsibility in this marathon's success. I'm glad that you saw how obviously fun it was to be with this group and are considering going next year. Smiley
Edit history:
UltraJMan: 2011-08-09 04:42:30 pm
UltraJMan: 2011-08-09 04:23:25 pm
It's time for some HEErooooOOOOHi cs!
Alrighty, this will probably be a massive post and I sure hope I remember everyone and everything!

First off, an insanely massive thank you to both Dunnius and his sister. Not only did Dunnius go out of his way to come get me, his sister was willing to let us crash at her house the night before the marathon kicked off. I had a lot of fun talking and hanging out with both of you, and perhaps someday we can all go on that hike through the Utah mountains your sister was talking about. Great job on your commentary and your runs too Dunnius, they were a blast to watch and you really stepped up to the plate to bring them to us. And thanks again, I seriously can't thank both of you enough, I would've missed out on what was one of the best weekend of my life had I not been able to go, so I appreciate it more then words can describe.

Essentia and Denton, wow you guys are the greatest hosts I've ever seen. I've never felt more welcomed in a home I'd never been to before, thanks so much for the food, the great cooking, and just being around and being supportive to all the runners. Great runs from both of you too, and I apologize again for donating towards Terra haha, it made for a great run though and I had a lot of fun doing commentary and watching it.

DarkKobold, great MM3 run on top of being a pretty cool dude. Would've liked to talk to you more, maybe at AGDQ2 if you go! I also enjoyed what I saw of the NESbot demonstration, it was highly impressive, but it brings me to my next shoutout too.

NESbot, why'd you leave me to fight the dreaded Burger King? You totally set that up man, not cool!

Nitrodon, sorry I missed Cave Story, but it was hard to fit into that little computer corner. I hear it was a great run and I look forward to seeing it . Btw, way to be pro at Mighty Flip Champs, 4-7 is a tough stage.

Aftermath, I had a good time talking to you during both the CV block and on the morning after the marathon, you're a pretty cool dude and all your runs were impressive. Also, thanks for letting me try out Shantae Risky's Revenge as well as Mighty Flip Champs, although that may be a bad thing as I'm gonna have to drop some money on both on the 3DS store at some point haha. Hope to see you at the next marathon so we can hang out some more!

Raen, that night we talked about Marvel vs DC and all those movies was so awesome. Shame you had some crazy bad luck near the end of Minish Cap but what I saw of it ended up being a great run. Also had a good time in the practice room just talking about other random stuff. I hope you can make next year's summer marathon too!

Kubelwagon, sorry about turning L4D2 commentary time into J and the KH crew talk about Final Fantasy time haha. It was late and we were all kind of tired, but I gotta give shoutouts to the NiDL run and of course Epic Yarn. The whole Kirby block was way too fun *and adorable* which brings me to:

Romscout, of course it's always awesome to hang out with you and I'm glad we were able to do KSS somewhat competently this marathon haha. I suppose we're the "bickering couple" of SDA runners after that run, but I'm glad we got to practice and come up with some silly and fun donation challenges. I actually wish we could've hung out longer, but that's the way it goes. Great job with handling the donation tracker so much and helping set up for the marathon, as well being able to finish a Portal run without being able to practice at all, I know it didn't go how you wanted but I still enjoyed it. Also, thanks for being so into my Ninja Gaiden run even if it was terrible by my standards *pulling the AndrewG card on that run* Casual Crashers was fun as always too.

Feasel, for organizing our team in Castle Crashers and actually giving our team real strats haha. It may not have been the puntacular run it was at AGDQ but it went incredibly well and was a load of fun. I think I may enjoy the vuvuzelas *conch horns* way more then the shovels. Great job on Snake Rattle N Roll too, that game is such a chore to play let alone run, so it was great to see it beaten so quickly and fancifully.

Seawolf, I'm really sad I missed your runs as they were games I wanted to see a ton, but I definitely needed the sleep to avoid the AGDQ no sleep fiascos heh. You're a cool guy and I wish I could've talked with you more, but what conversation we did have was fun. I'm also seconding what Romscout said about your comments during the end of the marathon. Hopefully you can make it to another marathon and I can actually catch your runs!

Reaif, I didn't get to talk to you hardly at all, but I loved watching your LttP run. Glad I could be there for it as it was insanely good!

Dessyreqt, it was awesome meeting you. I enjoyed our talks during the car ride over with Dunnius about Uniracers and TASing in general. You're also just a really chill and funny dude, and the fact you had I Am The Wind gave us the ability to sing a true masterpiece for all to hear. SotN time in the practice room was just too awesome. I missed a good bit of Super Metroid, but what I did see was great, you were rockin it man. I definitely hope to see you at future marathons!

Gombill, great SM64 run, didn't get to talk with you much but as with most runners I didn't it was made up for by a truly awesome run. I ended up missing Quake 2, but I look forward to seeing it later on.

Brossentia, for being not only a marathon rookie, but a speedrun rookie you did insanely well on both fronts. I loved that you had constant energy and enthusiasm for pretty much every game you were around for not to mention you're just an awesome guy. I'm seriously gonna look into getting Mirror's Edge PC after seeing your run as it's sparked my interest in running that game, it just looks to fun to not try. Wish I could've joined you and SpikeVegeta for more of Rayman 2, but I'm glad I was there for what I did catch of it, your guys's commentary and voice-acting for it was absolutely amazing.

Puwexil, taking a pie to the face like a champ. I enjoyed the KH2 race so much, plus just hanging out, you and SpikeVegeta really couldn't have made for a better marathon closer in my opinion and I hope one of you two nails a great KH2 run someday, your strats and routes are always fun to watch.

DarkwingDuck, sorry for not being around to help pun up StarTropics near the start. You had a good run with it and I really wish I could've had time to learn StarTropics 2 so we could have that StarTropics block. Someday hopefully! And when that day comes... well OH BOY, OH BOY, OH BOY! as you or Goofy would put it.

Arrow, your commentary was just as ace as it was at AGDQ and I had entirely too much fun during your Katamari run. You're an incredibly chill dude and you really rocked DK '94, it was good to see you again and sorry we turned the end credits of We Love Katamari into some sort of bizarro irish drinking song haha.

Neighbor Dude, I have no idea what neighbor dude's name is but shoutouts to him for getting a disco ball in about 10 minutes flat. Also gotta give mad shoutouts to him for being able to reduce Sephiroth to half health in the practice room during me and Opario's practice sessions.

Duckfist, for not only blitzing his games during the Mega Man block, but for joining in on the insane Castle Crasher antics on our team. It was cool to have you on board and again you had some awesome runs.

Tranquilite, I didn't get to talk with you that much at all, and I missed your run of VVVVVV. But I definitely look forward to watching it when it shows up online.

UraniumAnchor, you are a cool dude as always. Props for helping a lot with the setup and for opening the marathon with a great Blaster Master run.

Zyre, I didn't get much of a chance to talk with you, but huge shoutouts for providing like... a metric crapload of the equipment. Without your stuff the marathon would've been much harder to organize I think.

AxelRyman, I know you weren't there but I at least managed to take trinity limit into third phase Sephiroth from your chat strats which helped a little bit. I wish you could've been there to help complete the KH crew! Maybe for AGDQ2 we can all be there haha. I'm also growing my goatee out long haha, I just got rid of the 'stache is all!

Opario, without you coming up with the Seph strats would have been way less fun. Sorry I had to sleep through Shadow of the Colossus, it seemed like it would've been an interesting run. But major props for accidentally discovering how to AI loop the first phase, I'm glad we were able to hammer out a strategy that allowed us both to beat him during the actual marathon. I also hope you have a great time in Japan!

MikeUyama, for running SDA for so long and being a damned awesome guy. He's always helping behind the scenes to keep things organized and really helped with this marathon too, I'm sad you couldn't make it to this summer marathon but I look forward to hanging out with you again at AGDQ2!

MercuryZelda, for being supportive of the summer marathon and making a load of plushie prizes. Every last one of them was amazing, thanks for always making great prizes and for being a great friend on top of it. Wish you could've been there!

SpikeBrogeta, out of everyone there I think I had the most fun meeting you. You're a guy I'd hang out with all the time in real life I think, between the insane KH2 race, all the practice sessions and the awesome conversations I just had a great time. You're absolutely ace at commentary and I think you had me and everyone in stitches laughing on more then one occasion. I seriously wish I could've caught more of Rayman 2, but I'll just have to settle for seeing the first half when it shows up for download. I'm glad you could make it, it was awesome to finally meet the last KH speedrunner I hadn't yet, I seriously hope you're able to make it to AGDQ2, I'm gonna close this with:

BRO-HUUUUUG!

I have one last thanks to the actual state of Utah, my gaming roots actually began there when my uncle gave me my first Nintendo when I was 2 years old. It's almost surreal to be there again 19 years later speedrunning and doing one of the things I love most for a charity. It's such a trip to be in a community that is so great and tightly nit together. Everyone there is like a whole giant family, and this last shoutout is to the entire KH crew as well as the SDA family. I seriously love our marathons and our community and will be a part of it for as long as this place exists.
Highly Evolved
Quote from UltraJMan:
DarkwingDuck, sorry for not being around to help pun up StarTropics near the start. You had a good run with it and I really wish I could've had time to learn StarTropics 2 so we could have that StarTropics block. Someday hopefully! And when that day comes... well OH BOY, OH BOY, OH BOY! as you or Goofy would put it.


This has to be the most awesome post ever.
Leftward punch go!
Gotta give props firstly to Essentia and Denton. Not only for hosting this event, but any time I had a question, one of you were always willing to help out with whatever needed to be done. Special props to Essentia for a super tech BBS run, I was overjoyed to be a spectator!

Aftermath - I don't blame anybody for leaving after BBS was finished. It was THE run that night, and most of you had been up for hours and hours and desperately needed a break. But thank you Aftermath, for sticking with me during my SotC run, covering donations super well, and being the most clutch commentator a guy could ask for. I probably wouldn't have explained half the tricks I did if not for you actually prodding me for info :p

Brossentia - You were one of the first people to introduce yourself to me, which I think helped me out a lot when I first arrived. It was so much fun seeing your Mirror's Edge run, and I've had great fun talking to you in the past. I hope to see you again!

romscout - Sorry I didn't get to catch your runs either, but I know you did a lot of work behind the scenes, your donation coverage was excellent, and just your sense of humor helped keep the whole house happy.

JMan - I don't think I'll ever forget hammering out Sephiroth in those few hours we had, but not only that - good times were had the whole marathon with you around. Epic puns, lengthy KH discussions, and just all-around awesomeness. I really enjoy the work you've done, and it was a pleasure to finally meet you in person.

spikevegeta - Dude, I loved your KHII run, but more than that I loved hanging out. You've totally hit SDA superstardom and I can't wait to see you again.

puwexil - For taking a pie in the face like a champ and presenting one side of an epic race of one of my favorite games. Tag-teaming Sephiroth was an absolute honor!

Arrow - It was great to finally meet you; you're so much taller than it ever seemed on stream! Co-commentating most of Katamari was so much fun. Thanks for being an all-around awesome guy.

Raen - I'm sure glad you arrived before I did, it made introductions marginally less awkward :p Although considering how lost I got trying to get there that may not be much of a surprise. You know I'll miss you most of all once I'm gone, it was so much fun being with mah best bud at such a great event. Commentating for most of Minish Cap was especially great! But if all goes well, our gaming days are just beginning.
Where to start? Well, I would really like to commend everyone for creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. As you could probably tell, I have a rather introverted and reserved personality, but everyone there was so friendly and it was really nice how everyone from all over the country got together so well. Now for the specifics:

Essentia and Denton of course for being brave and inviting about 20-30 geeks into their home for the event. Tongue Also, special shout out to Denton for being the official marathon chef.

Romscout for really helping out with commentary during my runs and being so dedicated to the event. Sorry you were kind of caught in the middle of the whole technical fiasco that was L4D2. Speaking of which...

Quote:
Kubelwagon, sorry about turning L4D2 commentary time into J and the KH crew talk about Final Fantasy time haha.


Actually, there wasn't really much commentary there to begin with. There were only about 2 or 3 moments where I had to explain something, the rest was just us bickering and screaming like little girls. Tongue

Duckfist and DW Duck for just being all around cool guys. You guys were the first people I met and I really felt at home when you guys were around. By the way, Darkwing, sorry about the Korean. Everything was good, but the noodles kind of freaked me out. I've never seen noodles cooked that way.

UraniumAnchor for being this marathon's tech guru. I'm sure things would have been a lot more complicated without you around.

Zyre and Tranquilite for bringing pretty much 90% of the equipment and gaming consoles. I think you guys were more prepared than anyone else there.

UltraJMan, I remember way back in '07 I used to watch your videos on YouTube during my lunch break from work and I never once thought we would meet in person one day. You're a really cool guy to hang out with and a really good commentator to boot. By the way, my mom's friend thinks you're cute. She wanted me to say that. I'm so sorry. Roll Eyes

Feasel and SeaWolf, I didn't get to catch most of your guys' runs, but I did get to catch you guys stomping some PS2 Lemmings. I've never seen a Lemmings game analyzed so in-depth before. Tongue

Spikevegeta for pretty much being this marathon's mascot. I knew the moment I met you that you were going to bring this marathon to whole new levels of awesome. You and the rest of the KH crew should have your own radio show or something.

Arrow for being the other commentator who endured the L4D2 tech stuff. Like Opario said, you're a lot taller in person. Like, really tall. It was really nice meeting you as well.

DarkKobold for the excellent NESbot demonstration. Like everyone said at the marathon, you should upgrade it to a pizza box and have it include SNES and Genesis. Tongue

Aftermath for being such a cool guy as well and having an epic goatee. I swear, every time you walked in, I thought to myself, "Hell yeah, aftermath's here."

puwexil for taking a pie for the cause. Good work, soldier. thumbsup

Alexandre / Brossentia, you were also one of the first people I met. You're a really funny guy and your Mirror's Edge run was awesome.

Everyone else I really didn't get to see all that much, and I know I'm leaving people out. But rest assured, everyone there did a fantastic job and it was really fun hanging out with everyone. I'm not good at these as you can probably tell, but I would like to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to meet the people behind the avatars. You guys are awesome. Smiley
Quote from Kubelwagon:
Actually, there wasn't really much commentary there to begin with. There were only about 2 or 3 moments where I had to explain something, the rest was just us bickering and screaming like little girls. Tongue


I take offence, it wasn't screaming, it was wailing.

Tongue
Highly Evolved
I would be remiss not to make a thankful shout out to my new bestest friend, Fred Gibson, whoever you are.
I can't lie, I'm mostly scanning these posts for comments directed at or about me.

To be fair, I already knew that everyone else was absolutely awesome to hang around. Special shoutouts to: Aftermath, Alexandre/Bro, Arrow, DarkKobold, Darkwing Duck, Denton, Duckfist, Dunnius, Essentia, Feasel, Gombill, Kubelwagon, Nitrodon, Opario, Puwexil, Raen, Reaif, Romscout, Spikevegeta, Theseawolf1, Tranquilite, UltraJMan, UraniumAnchor, and Zyre. I can't remember if I forgot anybody, so if I did, sorry! There were so many people and they were all amazing! A+++, would charity with again!
Edit history:
duckfist: 2011-08-10 05:22:41 pm
duckfist: 2011-08-10 02:01:52 pm
duckfist: 2011-08-10 01:59:23 pm
I'm bad at these sort of posts, but I will try.

I was pretty nervous at first, flying out to place that I've never been to, meeting people I'd only encountered online at SDA and on the streams.  But once I was in the car with Denton, Darkwing Duck, and Kubelwagon, I instantly felt better.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming, within an hour I felt like I'd known everyone for years.  It was definitely a pleasure to meet, discuss, and play video games with each of you.

Denton is pretty much The Man for running so many trips to the airport, not to mention being so supportive of such an event.  Even though there were snacks and drinks all over the place, he and Essentia personally saw to it that every person was well fed, cooking tons of delicious food for the speed runner masses each day.  Your hospitality is as great as your children are adorable.  Thank you so much for hosting this awesome event and making it a fun, comfortable experience.

JMan:  You always have a run with a crazy clutch moment at these marathons, and it never disappoints.  You do realize that after SGDQ, you'll forever be tied to this association with horrible puns?  You can't escape it man, just roll with it.  Also, I'd crash castles with you any time.  Conch vs. Shovel is the ultimate match-up.

Arrow:  You were always on the ball about plugging the charity and explaining the purpose of the marathon, which is awesome.  Your Donkey Kong run was excellent, and you provided some interesting and informative commentary.  In no way am I kidding when I say this:  You should do radio or podcasts or something, you have a great voice that lends to it.  Seriously!

Brossentia:  Even though you've only been active in the community just recently, you pretty much became part of the SDA crew as soon as we all met.  Your foreign language impressions during Rayman 2 were just hilarious, your Mirror's Edge run was great, and you always managed to break awkward silences with great funny comments.  Great singing, too!

Reaif:  You are a very nice, chill fellow.  I looked forward to meeting you and you did not disappoint, too bad it was the last day of the marathon, I wish it could have been longer.  We had some great discussions.  I loved your LTTP run, congratulations on getting a new personal best.

spikevegeta:  You, sir, are a bro of bros.  I totally didn't expect to have that much fun watching Rayman 2.  Your impressions and voice acting were just wonderful, but were second only to your spot-on female lead vocals.  You'd better figure out a way to make it to AGDQ2, it was a pleasure to chill with you man, I look forward to next time.

Kubelwagon:  You are a cool and polite dude, having the opportunity to meet you was a pleasure.  You are a total wizard at speed running Kirby games, I really enjoyed Nightmare in Dreamland.

Nitrodon:  We didn't get to talk much, but I really enjoyed meeting you and watching you stomp Cave Story with ease, as expected.  Your puzzle solving skills are unmatched - I remember getting super frustrated at that page-flipping DS game, passing the DS to you, and after quietly playing it for like 30 minutes, you mastered the game and nonchalantly returned the DS to Aftermath.  Good times.

UraniumAnchor:  Thanks a ton for all the hard work you did behind the scenes in setup, and moderating the donations, stream, and chat.  You were always focused and clear-headed, ready to tackle the next problem and make sure everything was operating smoothly.  It must have been nerve-wracking to be the running the first game, but Blaster Master was impressive to watch.  See you next time!

puwexil:  Congratulations on actually speed running a game this time!  Seriously though, you're a cool guy and it was great to meet you, at least with a pie handy.

feasel:  I'm pretty sure you were the only person out of the 8 of us to actually practice Castle Crashers, way to carry the team on your shoulders!  I don't know how you're so good at Snake Rattle and Roll, that game is just nasty.  It was thrilling to meet you and see your amazing runs in person.

Darkwing Duck:  quack.  It was cool discussing with you everyone's different backgrounds in beginning to play games and speed run them.  Your knowledge of linguistics is impressive, I enjoyed your lessons quite a bit.  I've checked some local game shops for Darkwing Duck already, but no luck yet -- I'll probably just buy it with the box online here pretty soon, although in the mean time I've downloaded it and played a little.  I'll let you know when I start doing full runs.  Also, I'm totally jealous of your huge collection having boxes and manuals for cartridge games.  Hopefully I'll see you at the next one!

Dessyreqt:  Why if it ain't a fellow cow-pokin' rootin' tootin' Texan.  Yee-haw, I guess?  Ok ok, I'm done.  Seriously, it was awesome to have someone out there that I'd actually met IRL before, and I think your Super Metroid performance exceeded everyone's expectations. (Blue suit?  Wave beam special on Phantoon?  Sick-ass mockballs executed over small, 4-tile wide stretches?  Hell yes.)

Aftermath:  Nocturnal in the Moonlight.  Ok, you didn't play SotN, but I think everyone appreciates how you worked the donations and tech every night/morning thanks to your nocturnal lifestyle.  I was certainly impressed by your DS recording setup, which I think turned out quite well.  Great discussions were had, I could see us being good bros in real life.  I'm totally getting "that ninja game" on my DS as soon as possible.

Zyre and Tranquilite:  Equipment masters.  It was really good of you guys to bring all of your consoles and equipment (and Zyre even left them there, even though he couldn't stay the whole time) -- it was not only invaluable for running the games, but it allowed a lot of people to practice on the extra hardware.  Thanks!

Gombill:  We didn't talk a whole lot, but I was a fan of your SM64 from watching some runs on SRL, and seeing it in person was even more impressive.  Thanks dude!

romscout:  It was cool to finally meet you, I'm glad you managed to make it out to the marathon.  How much sleep did you get, by the way?  Even though I only got like 4-6 hours a night, you somehow managed to still be awake after I'd go to sleep and before I'd wake up.  You spent so much time moderating the stream and donations, I really don't think we could have succeeded as much without you.  Also, seeing your SotN controller abuse in person was really something else.  Thanks for being cool, see you in January.

(edit) theseawolf1:  Jersey's speed running ambassador, somehow I missed you!  I went back and watched your Demon's Crest run, which was just amazing.  I regret missing it live.  I remember you most from my stream chat, so it was excellent to finally meet you.  I wish we could have hung out more, but alas, good times were had nonetheless.  Since you live so close to it, I expect and look forward to seeing you at AGDQ2.  Peace man!

Sorry if I missed anyone.  Props to everybody that made it out to the marathon and to everyone that donated.  This was the best vacation I've had in a long time and I can't wait to go to the next one.
SGL Scrublord
Man, I'm afraid to miss anyone, but I have this handy schedule. Soooooooo:

Let me start with a group thank you for putting up with this fast-talking, too serious semi-shy fellow who tried to make a funny at every possible turn and likely failed more than half the time (I'm watching my runs and cringing at my constant nervous laughing). I simply can't match up to Dessy and Jman's mastery of wordplay.

Let me next go to Essentia and Denton, who were simply the most gracious of hosts. Any family might sing, laugh and make grilled cheese, but not all of them sing Disney, withstand our awful puns and make grilled Muenster. You have my deepest thanks for everything you two did in prep and during the marathon, as well as letting me freeload for an extra day. I hope both you and the girls had a good time, and enjoy the stuffed food I brought along. While I'm at it, I'll thank Exssentia too, wherever she may be...

Uranium Anchor: You sir, are a beast at monitoring all the hardware and keeping things going smoothly. Thanks for keeping it all together and hope the drive home wasn't too rough. Also, I hope your friend had a good time.

Zyre: Thanks for all the gear you brought us, I think that's the only reason any of use could practice. Good luck to you and your fiancee!

Feasel: Aside from your god-awful luck with flying, I hope you had a blast like the rest of us. Lots of ideas and dreams are in that noggin of yours, so don't let them go. Next time they make a Lemmings game, we'll have to set up a war room somewhere.

Darkwing Duck: Oh boy oh boy oh boy were you a good guy! That first night shift was something else, even though I'm watching it now and realizing only the people in the room had a chance to really hear me. A special thanks is in order for your recommending the Kim Chee House, though they are likely still terrified we will return en masse to clean them out again.

UltraJMan: After dealing with you in person and experiencing your majesty, I can forgive you for blowing out my eardrums when you first played SORR and met Shiva. You are simply a font of talent and humor, keep on rockin it wherever you go.

Dunnius: You were kinda in and out, but great work on making it when you could and describing everything about Metal Gear worth hearing. It seems you also made some sacrifices for others at the marathon, so thanks for allowing everyone to be there that made the event so unique.

Dark Kobold: Keeper of the Little Box That Mostly Could, but seriously your ambition and skill are incredible. Glad you took the Nesbot's quirks in stride and proved your mettle in MM3. I enjoy both TASs and speed runs, so I hope our communities can work together even more in the future. the Burger King may yet fall...

Duckfist: You slept in the zombie basement, you crushed your games and confirmed what I thought of you, that being you are quite the swell fella! Hanging out the second and third nights were awesome in terms of discussion and just having a good laugh. Keep plugging away at your plans, and they will pan out for you.

Arrow: Man, I didn't believe a person could prepare for so many games at once and monitor the donations and chat AND commentate. You did it all with a cool head and a quick wit, even if I was possibly the worst commentator available for T+E2. Thanks for everything I saw you do, and all the other things I surely missed.

Romscout: Talk about being a team player, you did far beyond what the call of duty at cost to yourself without complaint...at least outside of the Kirby Super Star run :P. Mike was correct in making you his Dictator-for-a-Weekend, and I'm sure the marathon would have suffered without you. It also helps you were as friendly as everyone there (noting a common theme here) and I can't say enough about your, well, everything!

Aftermath: Master of midnight, I bow to you. Between your tech work and your awesome runs (plus the bonus Soma's House of WTF stream), I am SO glad you were there. I think the first night crew needs to buy shirts or something to commemorate the occasion. If the only thing I had to do to have you around for a weekend is supply some emergency Crest, I'd buy a whole carton of the stuff!

Raen: Hope you had a blast despite the ending of Minish Cap, we were all rooting for ya the whole time. Hope to see you again...maybe with a little less Clown dancing though...

Spike Vegeta: Dude...I think I bought the ticket to Utah planning on helping out the marathon, but was actually being controlled by the master of all things fun to meet you and behold true greatness. Right off the bat you hung with me, Feasel and Essentia as we crushed the Kim Chee House and it only got better from there. We need to clone you so we can have you cover the day and night shift at AGDQ2, and also have a glorious double dose at sunrise/twilight. Hope you get the job you're dreaming of, I'm sure you've got the right stuff.

Kubelwagon: First off, thanks for making me look loud! But seriously, great runs and I hope you had a good time. You definitely observed and commented when you felt it needed, which is all we can ask. I'm the quiet one home, and I tell my friends that in a fire, the air moves and roars and the wood cracks and spits. The flame is silent, and the flame has power despite this.

Gombill: Talk about domination, you have Mario down to a science, if not down to an assumption. Didn't see much of you, but you knew what you doing and were certainly friendly.

Brossentia: No fair! You only got a month's warning about all this and you were much more awesome than me! It was certainly a blast hanging with you during and after the marathon, I'm looking forward to seeing you again here and there, whenever it may be. Also, we may measure our fun times with about 30k, no 50k whales.

Nitrodon: Good to meet you, if I wasn't always so out of it I'd likely have bugged you about the 7th Saga TAS. Come to think of it, its probably a good thing I was out of it, for your sake. I'm sure I'll see you in streams and at other events, take care of yourself!
Tranquilite: Stream master (and apparently Steam master :P), kinda didn't see you much, but you had a hand in everything we did! thanks for making all of this possible!

Opario: I am SOOOO sorry I didn't wake up for Shadow of the Colossus, if I knew it'd just be you I'd have made sure to set an alarm. The first night shift took a lot out of me, but its no excuse. Forgive me? Hope you had a good time otherwise.

Reaif: Masterful play on A Link to the Past, bomb jumps, worm bouncing, really digging deep at the last second, I couldn't ask for a better show!

Dessyreqt: I want to see which part of Texas you and Duckfist are from, because you two rock! Explaining racing tech, throwing me on Skype, showing us TAS workings and the such. Not to mention the awesome play in Super Metroid, Blue Suit is like the king of streamed glitches this time around (sorry Rom!). Great to hang with you, hope to see you in January!

Puwexil: The first guy I saw in Utah that had a clue about what we were doing. Sorry you somehow enraged that random dude during the Pie War, but I'm glad you got to win the FINAL MOST EPIC RACE IN ALL OF VIDEO GAME HISTORY. EVER. TURBO EDITION. Enjoy your travels and I'll be sure to say hey in the streams and see you around!

MercuryZelda: Thanks yet again for the awesome prizes, I hate to measure such things in money but they raised a great deal for the charity. Be sure to rub it in Lag's face that you got the Triforce as often as you can, that thing is sweet as hell.

Mike Uyama, ruler of Uyamastan: Thanks for helping to drive this site into everything it has become today, its truly one of my greatest joys in life to see how we are progressing in both speed running and interesting applications of said speed running. Also, I think egging me on about my first assumed time for Demon's Crest (1:20:00) led to this masterful play I will be recording and submitting soon. I'm looking forward to coming to AGDQ2, perhaps only to help and comment, and meeting the Big Sexy in person.

Emptyeye: I'm sure you have more to do with the marathon than simply the cheat sheet, so I give a overarching thanks!

Organization for Autism Research: You do great work, and I'm sure whoever went tot he higher ups and said "How about some gamers?" was really going out on a limb for us. If what I hear in the thread is true, I look forward to helping you in the long term!

The Unsung: I'm sure I'm leaving out may people behind the scenes who made this possible, but you have my deepest appreciation for making this all happen.

I mentioned at the end of the marathon how people in my area often assume I too am autistic, which is unnerving. I don't care about the label, rather the ignorance of those who think what I do is a symptom. OAR doesn't just work on discovering things about the condition, it also must present this to a public often too willing to accept blanket statements and assumption as truth. It is just as important to get people to know the truth of a matter, if only to have that many more minds able to offer support and be considerate for those with an autism spectrum...ummm, well a word that won't be regarded in a negative sense.

Not to end on a gaming comparison, but it really felt like the end of Chrono Trigger as we all began to depart, the song entered my mind and wouldn't leave for hours. Even as I left Feasel at the airport it looped and changed, not to "No Hope" but into "To Far Away Times." Lets hope those times are in January.

Thank you all,
Cory "theseawolf1" Speiser
Professional Second Banana
Here we go!

Essentia & Denton - I knew from hanging out with you at AGDQ and going sightseeing in DC that you were awesome people; but I was still blown away at your amazing hospitality to me and everyone else from out of town (pretty much felt like family the moment I walked in the door).  Glad I was able to help with some of the setup/teardown work, and also that we were able to raise so much for a cause that has special meaning to you (was my pleasure to take a pie in the face for that)!

Exssentia - Awesome job with the blindfolded BBS bosses and for being such a good sport both about doing Terra's story and about being locked in the basement for the rest of the marathon.  Somehow I wasn't surprised that even Essentia's Nobody is as nice as they come!

romscout - Great job as the proxy dictator!  Just like with JRDQ, you did a great job keeping things under control and moving, while also making sure everyone had a great time and didn't get too serious or stressed out when we ran into inevitable technical hiccups.  Also, WHAT IS A ROM?  A BRIMMING PILE OF SINGING & ACTING POTENTIAL!!!

Mike Uyama - You kept trying to sell yourself short because you couldn't be there in person, but there's no way the marathon would have went as smoothly without all of your work on the schedule, coordination with Justin.TV and O.A.R., and help with stream setup/testing.  I hope that getting to see a lot more of the runs live because of not having to run around coordinating onsite stuff was something of a silver lining.

Darkwing Duck - Excellent choice on the Korean BBQ (and since we cleaned them out, clearly others thought so too) and tunes for the way there and back.  Also glad that the logistics for this marathon worked out for you to play some good but more obscure games.  Lastly, now that we're finally even on the on-camera banana-related silliness front (also giving my forum avatar text some extra meaning) you should probably change that line of your theme song to "A cloud of puns and he appears, the master of the pies!"  If/when I return to Utah, you're going to have to make another one for actual eating, since what little of it I actually tasted was quite good.  P.S. - I'll try to get you that Streaming 101 info you asked for in the next few days.

UltraJMan - You make wherever you are at any given time the place to be with how much fun you are to hang out with and how great your game commentary is (awful puns and all) - so glad that things worked out for you to make it; and I hope you and your new lawn are very happy together!  Great work with that Sephiroth planning & battle too!

spikevegeta - Wow, did that really happen?  I wasn't sure when I got to the marathon that I actually wanted to do the KH2 race (a blowout race of a game that long would be boring to watch); but practicing with you and finding out about the fat/slim PS2 load time differences definitely helped me kick it up a notch.  You were definitely the life of the party many times during the marathon, and looking forward to working with you on making some even tighter KH2 runs in the future (maybe even on higher difficulties - now that I know about that armor upgrade in Space Paranoids I a Normal mode SS sounds even more doable).

UraniumAnchor - Had a blast (pun sort of intended) commentating for your run and manning the chat/donation stations with you for a couple of blocks.  I always appreciate your willingness to go the extra mile to keep the tech running smoothly and get the run videos processed/encoded in a timely manner after marathons.  Glad it worked out that you didn't have to drive out to Utah by yourself, and looking forward to the sure-to-be-awesome highlight/blooper vids!

Aftermath - Rar.  Also, amazing job with getting all of the run/prize data loaded into the donation database after we set up the donation tracker PC, and in finding/reporting the UI bugs back to SMK for fixin'.  You're definitely a fun guy and I'm looking forward to future skype/stream hijinx.

Brossentia - Was great to get to know you better after having sporatically heard your vocal & musical stylings over Essentia's streams.  Not only does does skill at video games run in your family, but so does being tons of fun to hang out with and go exploring strange new (new to me at least) places.

theseawolf1 & feasel - Had a great time going sightseeing with you guys and Brossentia at the Kennecott Mine, the fruitless quest for Crown Burgers that ultimately ended at In-N-Out, and then beating each other senseless during the bonus stream with boxes, apples, tires, koopa shells, etc.  True bro-hood probably can't be measured in whales (though it would be fun to try).

Celise & Laurelyn - Those girls can melt tension like nothing else with their adorable antics and smiles!  Also couldn't have asked for better prize hat models!

Opario & Raen - Didn't get to talk to you guys much, but it was fun to chat about KH games when spikevegeta and I were practicing and a couple of other times during the marathon - hope to be able to get to know you better next marathon and/or in my stream when I start working on KH2 Final Mix.  Opario - awesome job with Sephiroth (was so great that we were able to make the run both all worlds AND all bosses), and good luck in Japan!

Tranquilite & Zyre - Thanks for bringing the streaming PC, consoles, and other A/V equipment.

Axel Ryman - You weren't there in person, but since you got me interested in KH2 speedrunning at AGDQ and helped me out during my practice streams, you definitely deserve a shoutout.  Bonus points for the Piewexil demotivational poster too.

duckfist - Enjoyed getting to talk to you about childhood trauma inflicted by NES Mega Man games, and glad you survived the horrors of Essentia's basement (or as it's now unoficially called, "duckfist's dungeon") to tell the tale.  Also, if we ever have SDA licensed merchandise, we'll definitely need shirts/mousepads/etc with the duckfist.com logo.

Arrow - Just like at AGDQ, enjoyed your runs, commentary, and movie theater horror stories.

Nitrodon - Sorry I had to miss your run this time due to practicing for my own, but I'm glad to hear it went well.

SMK - Incredible job on the new donation tracker app - saved MASSIVE amounts of time in keeping the donations and comments together, tracking which had been read, etc.

MercuryZelda, Mecha Richter, Jazaaboo, and all others who made/donated prizes - With how many donation comments I saw that simply said "PLUSHIES!" or something similar, there's no way we would have smashed our goal so thoroughly without your help!

Dessyreqt, Reaif, Gombill, dunnius, DarkKobold, and kubelwagon - didn't get to talk to you much for one reason or another, but great job with your runs and hope to get to know you better in streams, IRC, and future marathons.

Lastly, during the home stretch of the marathon I heard several familiar names of SDAers both onsite and elsewhere making donations towards KH2, including from people that I knew were not fans of the game or KH series.  I would have been completely happy joining UltraJMan and Essentia on the couch crew to MST3K the KH1 cutscenes if that was what got more donations (I was there to have fun and help raise money for charity after all); but all of your support was very touching, and I'm glad it worked out that spikevegeta and I were able to give the marathon one amazing finale!

Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go have a contraband poultry puck!
Now a hit show on the CW
I really don't feel like there's much left to say about all of these awesome folks that hasn't already been said, and I don't want to leave anyone out, so let me just say that every single one of you rock! To reiterate what I said at the close of SGDQ, it never ceases to amaze me how I can fly to another state and spend four days with a group of total strangers, all from different parts of the country with completely different backgrounds, and yet feel right at home. Who could have guessed that a silly hobby like speed running would not only lead to me meeting such amazing individuals, but that I'd also find a way to help raise thousands of dollars for charity with my pastime. Participating in these events has not only become the highlights of my year, but has given me renewed faith in humanity. Maybe I'm being a hair too overdramatic... these things happen Tongue

I would be remiss if I neglected to give a few important shout outs.

Zyre - I'm glad I was able to spend some time chatting with you. You're an awesome guy...and a formidable opponent Wink I hope you're able to come to future marathons so that we can have a rematch, even if it's not streamed.

Romscout - You give me far too much credit. You were the glue that held SGDQ together, and it wouldn't have been half as successful without you. Plus, you were responsible for my absolute favorite moment of the entire marathon: attempting, in a sleep-deprived trance, to copy/paste a hyperlink from your computer to UA's laptop, and being utterly baffled by the outcome (or lack thereof). And no, I will never let you live that down Wink

UraniumAnchor - If Rom was the glue holding things together, then you were the guy standing by with a level to make sure our handiwork passed inspection. It's not a strong metaphor. At any rate, you put more effort into the technical side of things than anyone could have expected (including yourself, more than likely), going way above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. I know you were disappointed by the small hiccups we encountered along the way (and one large hiccup at the end), but it wasn't your fault, and we were lucky to have you helping out.

Spikevegeta - I don't think anyone expected you to be the breakout star of SGDQ, but you were an absolute party from day one. My biggest regret of the entire marathon (well, second biggest, after agreeing to run SMB) was not being able to chat with you more, and missing Rayman 2. There's not much I can say that hasn't been said already, but I hope you realize that your mere presence on camera was probably responsible for more donations than anything else, aside from the prizes. For that, I consider you a hero.

Brossentia - Out of everyone who participated in the marathon, I would imagine that you probably felt the most out of place at the beginning. And yet, you made it your mission to get know each and every one of us, and put a ton of effort into making your Mirror's Edge run as entertaining as possible. I don't think anyone watching the streams could have guessed that you were the rookie of the bunch. I hope we made you feel as welcome as you did us, and I hope to see you again at future events.

And last, but certainly not least...Kari and Denton - I can't express how humbled I am by your hospitality. I could easily double the length of this post by going on about how amazing you guys are for opening your house to us, sharing your food and utilities, cooking, driving, etc. But it would be much simpler to say, without even the slightest hyperbole, you are the nicest individuals I have had the privilege of meeting. Everyone you encounter is blessed to have you in their lives, and the world is a better place with you in it.

See you next mission Smiley
Edit history:
Darkwing Duck: 2011-08-12 03:35:06 pm
Highly Evolved
I don't think I've seen it anywhere yet, but this marathon put SDA over $100,000 dollars for money raised toward charity.  Would make for a nice press release. 

Some anti-love to the singing Disney songs thing.  I had "Be Prepared" in my head the entirety of Sunday at work.  What made it worse was the fact I only know about 75% or so of the lyrics.  Now I have JUST the Pumbaa solo from Hakuna Matata in my head, especially the long "When I was a young warthaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwgggg!!!!!!"

I played Castle Crashers at a friend's place last night.  I can now fly.  Shout out to feasel for that.

Tremendous love to anyone who would make a gif of romscout's clown dance.  I watched that last night and was transfixed.
Professional Second Banana
Quote from Darkwing Duck:
I would be remiss not to make a thankful shout out to my new bestest friend, Fred Gibson, whoever you are.

I had a run-in with Mr. Gibson (aka Wesker1976) in a Castlevania stream last night - the mystery was at last solved that A. his last $100 donation was indeed for pie on wexil action, and B. he wanted to spike the bidding war to keep it interesting/competitive.  I made sure to give him a shoutout for helping us raise the most "banana bucks" in a marathon yet!