kirbithan

I thought of this media spot idea since folks were asking about how in the world I came up with “Kirbithan” and how it’s pronounced, so why not take 1,000+ words to give the VHL world an in-depth explanation? Plus I’ll also go over my player names as well! Not necessarily a write up anybody asked for, but I figured it’d be fun to have this all out there for future reference if needed. So. . . why am I Kirbithan? Better known to most as Kirby. Well, the answer is right below. Oh, how tense it is. I hope you’re prepared! Without further ado. . . Yeah. That’s it. I wish the reasoning behind my username was more complex and thought-provoking, but it isn’t and again: that’s it. One day, sometime in 2020/2021ish, someone decided they wanted to be funny and edit Kirby Dach’s Wikipedia page to say his full name was Kirbithan Dach, implying that his parents actually named him something that ridiculous. It was promptly changed back soon after. Personally, I thought it was the peak of comedy for some reason, and since I didn’t really have a username that was used synonymously across the internet that wasn’t already taken by someone else, I jumped on the opportunity. Little did I know that would become my online identity. There’s also been some questions about Kirbithan’s pronunciation so I typically just say it’s if you just combined the names Kirby and Jonathan— Kirbi-than. It sounds so silly as I’m typing all this out but hey, it works. I also am a HUGE Kirby fan (the Nintendo character) and main Kirby in Super Smash Bros., so when I joined the VHL and others started to shorten my username to just Kirby, it was easy to start going by that since it felt natural, in a sense. Previously, I used a variety of usernames and none of them really stuck, but this one has and I’ve been using it ever since. So there you have it. The simple yet amusing origins of Kirbithan. Honestly, there could’ve been an alternate timeline where I was known in the VHL as something else other than Kirby had I not found that dumb meme so hilarious, which looking back, is kind of weird to think about since I can’t imagine going by anything else. Plus, when your username is consistent on multiple platforms, it’s easy for folks to find you and not get confused, especially in the VHL since we utilize both the forum and Discord. —————————————— Onto my player names, starting with Lachlan Summers! Lachlan actually started out as an NHL 21 Be a Pro player, and I just chose a first name I was really fond of, being Lachlan, of course, and since I noticed the name was popular in Australia, I chose Australian as his nationality. As for the surname, I also wish the answer was more complicated, but I simply scrolled through all the play-by-play names that Chel offered and landed on Summers since I thought the entire name would sound great together. I guess this has evolved into a full player origin, because after I finished about two seasons of my Be a Pro, I converted my player into an original character (OC), and had already chosen Jordan Binnington as a render for him by then. His story differs a lot from his VHL counterpart, but since I don’t want to lull anyone to sleep, I won’t go too deep into the lore of it all. Then I joined the VHL and future Hall of Famer Lachlan Summers was born after tweaking his original story a bit to fit into the league’s narrative better. Now here we are, two and a half years later with his name being immortalized in the HOF. What a ride. —————————————— My second and current player is Moscow Menace prospect and recently graduated Ottawa Lynx star, River Harrington. If you ask a few people (namely Sadie or Jacob), they’d tell you I actually came up with this player just a few months after joining the league and well, I committed to the bit. I believe the first time I mentioned this player was September 2022 and wrote a short .Com about him in January 2023, so I had very much planned ahead. Like Lachlan, River also started off as an original character before being translated into the VHL, with Vince Dunn as a render. I had this vague idea of a really spoiled rich kid when first creating the character, so naturally I thought: what would the kid be named? River sounded elegant enough after browsing through a list, so that’s what stuck. Harrington was the same deal, just wanted a name that sounded relatively regal, and what better fit the bill than the last name of my favorite character in Stranger Things (which is a show that is taking forever to finish, holy) that had that same snobby rich kid personality in the beginning of the show before turning a new leaf. I thought it was fitting in that regard as well. River has blossomed into a solid player, and while not at the caliber I expected of him just yet, there’s plenty of room to grow as he slots into his role in Moscow, whatever that may be in the near future. —————————————— I suppose that’ll do it (for now). As for what my next player name will be, I genuinely have no clue thus far. River’s got a long career ahead of him now that he’s got his rookie season with Moscow coming up in a few short weeks, and it’ll be a while before I even consider what direction I want to take my next player. I’ve definitely thrown around some prospective ideas but unlike how I was quick to settle on River, there hasn’t been any concrete decisions made yet and there probably won’t be for a while. To those who actually read all the way through, thank you for sticking around for what was essentially another Kirby Rambles-type media spot! I’ve been wanting to talk about the origins of my names here for a while now and decided now was a good time as ever. Catch you in the next one!

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of December 1st 2024 - December 8th 2024 1. MY FELLOW DAVIDS, we are back to the Continental Cup Finals! How do you feel about Davos’ performance this playoffs in one word? 2. We ousted Moscow once again, do you believe in the Victory Cup curse? 3. What was your player’s most impressive stat during this playoff run? 4. The S97 draft is quickly approaching! What positional needs do you believe we have to address? 5. What is one piece of advice you would give to first gen members? 6. If you had to add a new point task to the VHL, what would it be and why? 7. For the F1 fans, who do you think will secure the Constructor’s Championship: McLaren or Ferrari? 8. If you could have dinner with three famous people, who would you choose?

such a clean card! love everything about this from the layout to the jersey swap, and the assistant captain patch added in. i’m a sucker for small details like that. thank you so much, ace!

So awesome to see a presser question be expanded into a full write up. Great insight and read, CIA!

thank you for leaving another request, my friend! hope you enjoy!

@leandrofg

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of November 24th 2024 - December 1st 2024 1. Once again, we face Riga! Do you believe that they’re our biggest rival in recent memory? 2. What is your one bold prediction for these playoffs? 3. Has any player’s performance this past regular season (doesn’t have to be a Davos player) surprised you? 4. How did you do in VHFL if you participated? If you didn’t participate, will you sign up next season? 5. As recruitment is always a hot topic, what would you do to improve retention with newer members? 6. How is your favorite NHL team doing thus far this season, if you have one? 7. Another pair of movies just debuted this past Friday! Have you watched/plan to watch Gladiator II or Wicked? 8. Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday season?

apologies for the long wait! hope you enjoy this as much as i did creating it!

@LastGoon007

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of November 17th 2024 - November 24th 2024 1. We’re in the final stretch of the regular season! Where do you think we’ll finish in the EU? 2. Who should be considered our “Most Improved Player” this season? 3. Are there any stats you’d like to see in the portal or index that haven’t already been covered? 4. Are you a part of any other sim leagues besides the VHL? 5. What does your player do in their free time? 6. In your opinion, what is the most important part in making sure a sim league survives and thrives? 7. Do you prefer using the forum or Discord? 8. What is your favorite video game of all time?

What a surprise, we’re back for another Kirby Rambles! You may be asking, “Does this girl ever stop yapping?” The answer is no, apparently I do not. As we quickly approach the end of the year, I’m trying to push through the rest of this semester of school and try not to go insane by the end of it from the group projects, exams, and assignments. River’s production as well as the Ottawa Lynx as a whole have slowed down, which isn’t ideal. Don't get me wrong, we’re still doing well, but the race for first in the league going into the playoffs is extremely tight with Ottawa tied with Mississauga (who have been on a hot streak) for second with 85 points. Philadelphia sits on top currently at 88 points, with the rest of the league fighting for playoff spots. While the Lynx were almost unstoppable at the beginning of the season, the other squads have caught up and that much is clear. This just makes these last few sims even more integral and fun to see unfold, which one can never complain about, honestly. Currently, River is sitting at 78 points, 84 hits, and 68 shots blocked after 66 games as we near the end of the regular season, and I’ve already said my goodbyes to any individual player awards unless a miracle happens in these last few sim days. The point totals are projected to be just a tad better than last season, and while you may be wondering, “Kirby, your player is a defenseman. Why are you worrying about scoring?” It’s because I had an offensive D in mind when I created this player, though I’m not too happy about his defensive play either. As long as the Lynx make it far into the playoffs, I won’t be mad, though. I suppose the original hot start really set my expectations highly for my player and now that he isn’t meeting them, it kinda sucks, to say the least. But Simon giveth, and Simon taketh away, as wise VHL members have said many times before. We’ll see what ends up happening. I suppose this strange season is attributed to this being the first season without the VHLE since the COVID boom, which is fair. Of course, the VHLM is directly affected by the E’s abolishment due to the influx of players and the increased TPE cap. As I prepare to graduate to the VHL, River’s got 115 TPE banked that will be extremely satisfying to apply (once I get the proper advice for my build). In other news, I said I’d jump into making graphics again but haven’t had the time nor the energy to do so. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in this limbo/purgatory state trying to balance the VHL, school, and my personal life, but with Thanksgiving break coming up soon, I’m hoping the chaos will blow over. I have a few wonderful folks still waiting in my queue and I hope to fulfill those requests soon. That’ll do it for this edition of Kirby Rambles. I’ve sort of lost track of the days and time, but hopefully, when I am able to contribute more time to the VHL once more, I’ll be back with a bang! Thanks for reading and see you in the next edition!

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of November 10th 2024 - November 17th 2024 1. Were there any TDL moves that surprised you? 2. Thoughts on our new acquisition Joseph Dubois? 3. What is your favorite VHLM team and why? 4. What would you like to see from your player in the second half of S96? 5. How is your experience in the VHL now versus when you were a first gen? If you are still a first gen, what have you learned thus far since joining? 6. Which player do you believe will finish top of the league in scoring at this point in the season? 7. Favorite ice cream flavor? 8. Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?

this graphic is so clean, i can’t stop looking at it. incredible work, my friend!!

congrats on 1000, lucy!! such an amazing milestone, thank you for the wonderful contributions you’ve made to the league and here’s to many more!

For this season’s Theme Week theme of “VHL Lore,” I wanted to pivot the topic since I haven’t been around long enough to know the ins and outs of the league’s 17-year long storied history despite being a member for over two years now. Thus, I’m going to tackle the theme in a different way, and that’s through the importance of individual player lore: the stories, personalities, and other ways that users express themselves through writing for their players. Media spots and VHL.com articles are especially significant for sharing lore, as they allow users to craft their players to their liking— as more than just lines of code that run in STHS, but as characters and people. What do I mean by this? Well, my first and previous player Lachlan Summers was more than just a page of stats to me. He was already a pre-established original character that I had written a backstory, personality, and all the little tidbits about that I had tweaked to fit into the world of the VHL. Of course, a few career point tasks like the biography are ways for users to delve deeper into their player’s lives and elaborate on their origins, but I enjoy seeing and reading the media spots from those who truly go out of their way to build their player as a person and add onto the foundation as their career progresses. For Lachlan, he has an established family: a mother, sister, husband, brother-in-law, a dog, and even a baby on the way (that I’d mentioned during the interview media spot I had written a few weeks back). Of course, he’s also best friends with Sadie St-Louis, and even after his VHL career has ended, he’s seeking out work within the Davos organization to stay connected to the league. Just because he’s retired doesn’t mean I’m going to abandon my first player! I find it extremely fun to add these little tidbits into players, maybe because I just enjoy creating original characters and fleshing them out as both a creator and artist, so they don’t feel so flat and one-dimensional. Plus, going further into your player’s story allows for a plethora of opportunities for media spots and allows you to share them with other members of the VHL, hence why I really enjoy story or interview based articles when browsing the forum since it differs from your standard media spot, so I can get a glimpse of what drives these players/characters. With River, I haven’t had much of a chance yet to explore more of his personality besides his biography and a few interviews for the most part, but I definitely want to establish more of his character and his blossoming relationship with a fellow S96 draftee (if you know, you know). Speaking of which, there are plenty of wonderful and talented members of the league who are far more skilled in storytelling than me, like my good friend @OblivionWalker. Lee has written some great pieces that really tell you about who her player, Slava Kovalenko, is as both a person and a player, which include: his roots as a Ukrainian-Canadian, personality, values, accomplishments, and relationships. It’s truly refreshing and fun to see how Slava’s character has transferred to the VHL realm and how seamlessly Lee has made it work. I know a lot of other members enjoy writing humorous articles about their players' shenanigans with some hilarious headlines that always get a laugh out of me, and to me, these examples I’ve listed and more are some of the most important pieces of VHL lore, because they are inherently human and allow users to embrace their most creative selves, as well as connect to their players beyond the scoresheet. I hope others share the same sentiment!

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of November 3rd 2024 - November 10th 2024 1. Thoughts on this season’s theme “VHL Lore”? 2. If you had to put all your remaining TPE into one attribute, what would it be? 3. Historically, who do you think is Davos’ biggest rival? 4. Besides Davos, which VHL/E/M team name/branding stands out most to you? 5. Are there any moves/additions we need to make for our squad as we approach the trade deadline? 6. What jersey number does your player wear? 7. In the Star Wars universe, would you be part of the Jedi Order or the Sith? 8. Are you an introvert or extrovert?

Hello, wonderful folks of the VHL, and welcome to another edition of Kirby Rambles! Let me just start off with the fact that I have just finished up my midterm week, and since I’m still sort of recovering from the mental strain, I’m just allowing the stream of consciousness to take over for this week once again. Let me just say that group projects in college certainly aren’t for the weak. I’ve also been up sporadically since 2:30 in the morning for the sake of sports and after F1 qualifying, the actual race, and a NFL game, there’s a MLS playoff match I’m looking forward to tonight! Additionally, I want to start getting into the graphic-making mindset again this upcoming week since I have a few lovely folks in my portfolio queue that I hope to get sigs to soon and not have them wait for too long. My locker room presence also hasn’t been too great, which I’m not proud of, but I’m hoping to continue to be a voice in both the Davos and Ottawa locker rooms now that this period of midterms is over. Alright, let’s quickly recap my player’s stats again! Up until a 4 game losing slump for the Ottawa Lynx, River Harrington had a 9 game scoring streak which I hope to pick back up again now that the Lynx had won their last two yesterday. In 36 games played, Harrington is at a league leading 52 points with 18 goals and 34 assists with Brandon Petan Jr. and Philadelphia’s Einar Mathiesen at 50 points each. 52 points is definitely something to be proud of and I hope Harrington continues at this pace to potentially break that 100 point mark, though I know it’ll take an insane rest of the season to accomplish. But you never know. As a team, Ottawa is currently still sitting at the top of the VHLM with a 25-8-3 record after that weird losing slump, with Philadelphia trailing behind just barely, with a 24-10-4 record. Only 3 points separate the two teams and it should be a fierce battle for top of the league after Ottawa’s explosive first 20 games. I have high hopes for today’s sims and if they go sour for us, I fear I have nobody to blame but Simon considering the incredible group of players we have, though the other teams are working their tails off to bridge the gap, and I gotta respect that. Over in the VHL, where I AGM for my beloved HC Davos Dynamo, they sit 4th in the European Conference with 49 points, but the battle for 2nd-4th is close, with only 2 points separating David from the 2nd place Malmo Nighthawks. Meanwhile, the Moscow Menace, the team who selected Harrington 2nd overall this past entry draft, are sitting pretty with 65 points and an incredible 31-2-3 record. To end off this Kirby Rambles, I want to quickly discuss VHFL and Super Coach— more so VHFL, because I am doing horrendous in Super Coach. In VHFL, I’m not only leading my group but I’m the first person out of everybody who signed up this season to pass that 800 point threshold. This is the first season I haven’t had a back-to-back pick and while I’d say my luck is better with those, picking 2nd this season wasn’t too shabby for me. Usually, I’m more prepared for VHFL drafts, but with this season being kind of weird, I just went with my gut feeling and it’s seemingly worked out! We love to see it. This concludes this week’s Rambles, and it’s crazy how many words your stream of consciousness can spew out on a Sunday afternoon. Thank you to those who read all the way to the end and I’ll see you all in the next edition!

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of October 27th 2024 - November 3rd 2024 1. Happy Halloween week, fellow Davids! As of Monday, we are third in the EU. How many points do you predict we will end up with by the end of the regular season? 2. How do you think the league should further incentivize activity and content production from users? 3. There are some amazing, funny, and interesting player names in the VHL. Do you have a favorite (that’s not your own)? 4. What brand of equipment does your player use? 5. Do you believe enforcers will eventually be phased out of hockey? 6. What will your player be dressing as for Halloween? 7. Do you celebrate Halloween? Why or why not? 8. How early is too early to listen to Christmas music?