Payne First Gen

[Scurvy 1,488]

So, my insane journey in the VHL for my first gen player started with me staring at the VHL forum on my computer trying to decipher what in the hell I was looking at, hovering over that “Create a Player” bar that seemed to be begging me to click it.  I am truly, truly thankful that I finally got the nerve to click that create button and thus, Brian Payne was born.  Signed as a free agent on the San Diego Marlins, his story began.  

 

However, even after creating this player I found my learning curve only heightened as I navigated the forum and capped vs uncapped TPE and how to earn it.  Thankfully, there were other first gens struggling to learn and some veteran help.  Our GM JB123 @JB123 was extremely helpful in navigating myself and other first gens in the finer points of the game and how to become beasts, if you put the work in. 

 

It was in Season 81 when I discovered (usually after hours of checking other team’s stats and box scores) how many great first gens would be in the S82 draft.  Players like @dlamb, @Shindigs, @MubbleFubbles, and others who all had a huge influence throughout my career here in the VHL, VHLE, and VHLM.  Also, playing in all three leagues taught me a lot and allowed me to meet some great new people along the way.  

 

After an ok season stat wise but great season TPE earning wise in the VHLM I entered the draft.  I never thought as a grown man I would be so riveted that I saw at the dinner table with wife and daughter while watching Twitch on my phone to see the draft live.  My wife and daughter just shook their heads wondering what could be so great about an imaginary sim machine and a created player.  Same thing I wondered before I tentatively clicked that forum button to create Payne.  But now I know just how great it is.  

 

Sadly, the S82 draft didn’t go how I thought it would.  I knew who was going to be the top picks with players like Vasile Lamb, Bo Johansson, Cole Pearce @N0HBDY, and the best named player ever, The Board Game Clue on Skates.  But it did hurt to see Payne drop all the way down to #26 to the Warsaw Predators.  But I do believe things happen for a reason and no better outcome could have been scripted than me falling the Preds.  Payne followed up with the VHLE draft a little better and went #20 overall to the Bratislava Watchman where I feel I learned the most how to build a player from the best student of the game and future Hall of Famer, Bo Johansson (Shindigs).  He helped craft Payne into a better defenseman and continues to help me along the way as I ask stupid questions after stupid question to make my player better each and every week. 

 

After an early round playoff loss and max TPE earning the whole VHLE season I finally got my call up to the show where fellow S82 draftee Dlamb took me under his wing as I continued to build Payne to contribute to a club full of high TPE studs and rookie phenoms such as fellow S82 draftee Girts Galvins @Girts.  

 

Payne was able to raise the Continental Cup in his second year and a Victory cup in his third year.  Payne won the Jake Wylde Trophy and Sterling Labatte Trophy in S85 and is hungry for more. 

 

So going from a man sitting as his computer hesitant to join this league, to late draft pick, to award winner and champion, this first gen is grateful to everyone who makes this league possible and competes every week to make this such a fun experience for all.  

 

 

 

[Shindigs 1,771]

9 minutes ago, Scurvy said:

He helped craft Payne into a better defenseman and continues to help me along the way as I ask stupid questions after stupid question to make my player better each and every week.

Cliché as it is, stupid questions are free, stupid mistakes are not. It's been great seeing you keep growing and getting the success you've earned with the work you've put in.