Frag Dolls tryouts: More than mashing buttons

(continued from previous page)

After the first round of individual "Ghost Recon" play, King was looking golden with the highest score. But everyone was also talking about Alyson Craghead, 21, of Mesa, Ariz., because she came in second despite being known primarily as one of the best "Halo 2" players in the world.

They began to gear up for a second round, having shifted the teams, and Valkyrie once again taunted the candidates.

"A lone wolf kills your team, so let's find out who the lone wolves are and get rid of them."

--Valkyrie, member of Frag Dolls team

"Man, are you girls lucky I'm not playing this round," she said.

King won the second round as well, with Hommerbocker finishing second.

Valkyrie then organized the candidates into teams, four-on-four, balancing each side based on how the women performed in individual "Ghost Recon" play.

As they waited, Kat Hunter, a current Frag Doll, told me she was seeing some clear differences in how the candidates were playing on this day compared with how they played in informal gaming the day before.

"Definitely the way the girls came out (today) was not in line with the way they played yesterday," Hunter said. "We had girls stepping up, so I think they're really starting to take it seriously."

As they got ready for team play, each candidate donned a headset that let her communicate with her teammates. This allowed them to strategize as they played: Some could play offense, some defense, and all could shout out directions to teammates or warnings that someone was creeping up from behind.

Valkyrie once again stood in front of the room, booming out directions and strategy.

"A lone wolf kills your team," Valkyrie shouted, "so let's find out who the lone wolves are and get rid of them."

She added, kindly, "Good luck, ladies. May the best team win."

Hunter piped in, grinning, "Don't screw it up."

As they began the team play, all the women looked like they were concentrating so hard they may as well have been taking their law school entrance exams. They chattered constantly on their headsets, shouting out commands and warnings.

But on one side of the room, Morel was looking like the best communicator, and clearly her team's leader.

"There's three coming up towards the base, ladies," Morel said. "Heads up."

Finally, the "Ghost Recon" team play ended. It was a draw, and Valkyrie was full of congratulations.

"Good job, girls," Valkyrie said. "You're all ghetto-fabulous."

Next, the candidates jumped in to "Halo 2."

This was definitely Craghead's game, and as people crowded around to watch her play, she didn't disappoint. She was dominating, and quickly had twice as many kills as anyone else.

Kari Toyama, a 21-year-old from Seattle, noticed that King was getting credit for hitting a ton of enemy soldiers, but few outright kills.

"Everyone's stealing your kills," she said.

"I know," King replied. "They were 'vultching' everyone I shot."

The candidates finished a first "Halo 2" individual round and quickly began another. As in the first, Craghead was far ahead of anyone else. She finished with 50 kills. The second place finisher had 29.

Afterward, the existing Frag Dolls sequestered themselves to discuss what they saw. They talked about each candidate--how she played in each of the two games and how she communicated.

It was clear that Craghead and Morel were the best "Halo 2" players, but Hunter thought King played the best over the two games.

And the candidates? They just kept on playing the games. After all, it's what they do for fun no matter how much they play competitively.

"It was exciting," Hommerbocker said of the tournament. "It was to the point where it gets your blood pumping so fast (and where) you zone out everything else around you. It was so fun to be on a team and beat people down."

Up next: The jury deliberates and the Frag Doll candidates find out who got the job of a lifetime.

[davaal]

where's the Madden & NCAA?

ok, so they got their frag tourneys. but what about us sports gamers? we've been playing informal tournamants since Tecmo Bowl. NBA live, Madness, NCAA 06, Madden, 2k6 - where that tournament?

[R3DL1N3]

MADEN & NCAA

you know whee those games are? THey in the garbage.. forget the g@y sports games on a console.. get off you F@T L@ZY @SS and place real sports CHUMP....

[Tomcat Adam]

Maybe If each game wasn't each year.

Maybe if they didn't release a new 'version' each year with only seasonal updates, sports game might ghave a small glimmer of hope of getting considered a tournament type of game.

But other than that, the real thing takes much more skill to do and is much more entertaining, well known, etc.
Same reason that games like 'Full Spectrum Warrior' do not get considered.

That is, other than the fact that there is a lack of extreme depth in the gameplay mechanics that allows for tiering and truely and well established 'advanced play' (such as combos in Street Fighter, Wavedashing/SHFFL's in Smash bros. Melee, and button combos in the Halo games).

[ImperialPanda]

More sales team than gamers

One thing's for sure: they're no slayers boxer.

[Below Meigh]

Discrimination...

To be like the boys and play with the same toys. But not mix.
Great. So much for suffrage and equality.
Be equal. Not divided.

[JoeCrow]

Oh please...

lighten up.