I'd like to make it very clear that this thread is not an attempt to pander to FFG or to be a name dropper to try and boost my status. I have sometimes been accused of being overly opptomistic about the future of L5R or being a fanboy. At the very least I have been accused of being biased. To that I will agree to some extent as nobody is without bias. For how this relates to my views on the game, past and future, I'm going to take you back 20+ years to when Steve Horvath introduced me to L5R and changed the way I approach gaming.
Before I met Steve I had only played MTG for a short while. Like many people of my age that was my first experience with a card game that wasn't poker, cribbage, spades, etc. MTG was amazing at first and I became competent and competitive in it very quickly. Unfortunately I became a little to competitive. Playing for ante and trying to undercut people while trading cards.......pretty much being a jerk and perpetuating the stereotype of the douchey MTG competitive player. I didn't know how else to be at that point in my life. My dad had always taken games and sports very seriously (I'd even catch him cheating from time to time) and I suppose the drive to win rubbed off on me. I'd never blatantly cheat but I certainly worked in the grey area more than most.
About a year into playing magic, I was starting to lose friends that had been close to me for years. Friends that introduced me to MTG didn't want to play with me any more, and in hindsight I couldn't blame them, because I was no fun to play with. Additionally my parents viewed it as a waste of time and money. I got tired or hearing it from them and upset at losing friends so I decided to sell off my MTG cards. I met a guy from school around the corner from a small comic store in Citrus Heights, CA and sold it all. He told me how he sometimes played games at that shop and I should stop in and play if I ever wanted a game of MTG. I didn't think I would ever want to play it again but a couple weeks later I found myself in that comic store for the first time.
That was when I met Steve Horvath. He greeted me and invited me to look around while he finished up a game of MTG with a kid that couldn't have been older than 12. The kid's mother showed up shortly after to get him and had a casual talk about how the kid behaved and to my surprise how well we played, as if she was really interested in him getting better at the game. I had two thoughts, "how come I didn't get cool parents like that?" And "I wish I'd have found this place sooner." After the kid left, Steve asked me what he could get me. I told him about getting rid of my MTG collection and that I was thinking about playing again but wasn't sure if I wanted to. He pointed out a bunch of games to me and told me a little bit about each one. I'd never seen any other CCG's besides MTG before. When he started describing L5R I was really interested but he cautuioned me that it was pretty advanced to learn on my own and offered to teach me a game. He played his trusty Dragon deck and let me choose from the others he had. I picked Phoenix. It felt great to be playing and learning and having fun again, even though I lost. Other customers came in and out of the store but Steve made sure we got though our game. It was the first time I had enjoyed playing a game in a long time. He bowed to me when ending his turn and I followed suit. At one point I bluffed him in an attack to steal a different province, which he commended me on. It was great. When I had to go he asked me which clan I wanted to try and I wasn't sure. He told me more about the story all the clans. I said if I played I'd probably just play the clan that nobody else wanted or was deemed the worst. He had a bunch of extra Phoenix decks left on the shelf (they were not a very popular clan in the store) so he just gave me one free of charge. I bought a couple boosters to support the store since he had been so kind and was on my way.
I went though my cards later that same night, built a deck and was back at Steve's store the next day, and any chance I got after that. There was always a game to be had. Steve played everything and was equally kind to everyone. He encouraged the older players to include the younger players no matter what game they played. On more than one occasion someone who was supposed to show up and play couldn't make it. Steve would either play a game or make sure whatever game was being played was including anyone that was interested in playing. I remember getting roped in minatures games from time to time when there was nobody to play cards with or Steve was busy running the shop. The more games I played, each with it's own core of enthusiasts that were all fun to be a part of, changed my whole perspective on gaming. I congratulated people that beat me instead of making excuses why I lost. I helped others with their decks and strategies. All because Steve Horvath is an awesome person and helped me see the good side of gaming.
Knowing that Steve is directly involved in the future of L5R is very reassuring. Ever since the sale to FFG was announched, I have been confident that L5R would be a great game again, because of who is involved. Steve cares too much about games and people in general to let L5R be anything but great. I'm not besties with the man. Heck, I don't think I've seen him in over 10 years at least. But when I reflect back on the time I spent playing games at his shop I know he's passionate about this game and those that play it.
#believeinsteve
Edited by Ishi Tonu