Written on February 16, 2008 by Elliot "sawyer" Anderson
Nonpareil: An All-Female Team Changing the Face of E-Sports
Filed Under Interviews
Nonpareil, an all female CS:Source team is taking CAL-Open by storm. They are currently 4-0-0, and have one of their biggest matches ahead of them against Warren Gaming (4-0-0 as well) on de_nuke. A few of them took time out of their practice schedules to answer a few questions about their team, their ambitions, and the unique difficulties and differences that they’ve had to overcome and adapt to as a result of being an all female team.
What was the major decision making factor in creating a team completely of females?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: I often ran into situations where male gamers would comment on how female gamers are terrible and cannot play as good as the males can, so my goal in making this team is to prove those guys wrong. Our overall goal is to change the perception that the gaming community has of female gamers.
How hard was it to make a team of all females?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: Both easy and hard. Easy because there aren’t that many females to choose from in the beginning, and hard because we have to work extra hard to be able to get the level of teamwork and skill we want.
What type of trouble, if any, has the vicious Source community given your team?
Christina “xtina” Cook: The most obvious thing is the discrimination, guys always want to treat us as inferiors. They like to make comments about how we “belong in the kitchen” or we should “go back to the mall.” It’s difficult to have to just sit back and listen. We’re always having to prove ourselves, because its hard to be taken seriously.
As far as team dynamics how different is nonpareil from other teams you’ve been on?
Solange “fiRedup” L.:We all have played with each other before. Every single one of us have history together and we know each other. There’s always going to be drama in any team, yet we haven’t had any big arguments so far. The fact is, not only are we friends but we’re also great team players so the chemistry is building, as we try to improve as a team.
Was it difficult finding females with talent, since the pool of female CS players is so small?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: It was very difficult to find females for my team because all of the females in source today (besides PowersGaming Ladies) haven’t joined a team that has strict policies and practice schedules as I have created for this team. None of them have been on a serious team such as this so it was hard to determine if they had the ability to live up to what I wanted for teammates, but eventually of course I found the girls that I thought could go far with me and this team.
What have you had to adapt to as an all female team?
Solange “fiRedup” L.: The biggest difference between a male team with one female is that most of the time, the guys won’t take you seriously. When with the same gender, not only are we aiming high to become one of the best teams, we also want to be the best female team ever created.
Having been on only female teams so far in your career, Xtina, how does nonpareil match up against your previous teams? What seperates nonpareil from the rest?
Christina “xtina” Cook: I’ve had very brief experiences on other all-female teams, and there never was as much chemistry or communication as we currently have. We have talented ladies.
Do you catch people off guard? Because you’re certainly good as a team, and most guys hold a prejudice as you just mentioned.
Solange “fiRedup” L.: Oh yes, all the time. We even had some matches where the opposite team wasn’t even aware that we were females until it was all over with. Most of the time they’re surprised and then they begin to criticize us with sexist comments. Sometimes we are called hackers or not real females since we play at such a competitive level that certain guy’s teams aren’t even at. Personally I’d rather them know we are females afterwards because if they know beforehand, it can cause some prejudgments and we are taken less seriously than we’d like to be. But then again, they just have to accept that some girls are better than them.
What really goes on in vent when it’s just you girls?
Solange “fiRedup” L.: Haha casual conversations, nothing strange or out of the ordinary. We talk a lot about our team itself when we’re together.
I’m sure the guy gamers are dying to know, what LANs are you ladies planning on attending in the near future?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: We’ll be attending ETS LAN for now and any LANs during June, July and August, for now.
Will Moe be present at your LANs to lay down the law if any guys try and push their luck with you?
Christina “xtina” Cook: Haha yeah, if hes not too busy doing his CGS thing he’ll be there letting guys know who’s boss, but he doesn’t have to be present to scare them off, he’ll just hunt them down later…
Seeing as how this is an FPSTrainers article, do you think most guys would be willing to take lessons from a girl?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: Yes, I think guys would. I’ve given lessons before but I never charged because I only have Main experience, but I’d be willing to give lessons.
Solange “fiRedup” L.: Certain females are respected and known in the community, there’s not such a big difference. I’ve seen guys demand lessons from a girl before. It really depends on the guy himself if it bothers him or not.
You have a big match vs. Warren Gaming, both of you are undefeated what strengths of yours on de_nuke will the team be counting on to win this match?
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: Nuke is heavily a teamwork and chemistry map which we have plenty of considering the fact that most of us have lanned and played together since 2005.
Anything you’d like to tell the community?
Solange “fiRedup” L.: We are still seeking donations for LAN fees!
Marianne “iNfusioN3” Ruiz: I’d like to thank you for giving me the time of day to tell the gaming community a little bit of what we are about, and most importantly to our sponsors, #nearcry, #findno1, shopL2.com, and fxresolute.com. We are also still looking for donations to support LAN fees.
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Congrats ladies and very nice article Sawyer.
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Randy Nichols.
I’m not afraid to ask for lessons from a girl, lessons please
They’ll never read this article because who seriously puts a computer in the kitchen?
“Solange “fiRedup” L.:We all have played with each other before.”
Hahahah… I knew it.
just shut up and cook me the dinner plz.
Good Interview
Its fine that you are an all-girl team trying to take it to the top, but you too are leaving subtle sexist comments, and you know it. I have respect for an all girl team, but not when they say one thing and do another (AKA Hypocrites, SP?)
You have to realize mike that these girls are in the minority. They aren’t seeking attention. How are they even hypocrites? They keep getting criticized n put down, of course they have supporters and some respect from certain people but often not from the community since guys can be sexist. They take it seriously so watch it.
well over all im not prejudice and such. but i have yet to see a female that dominates overall. I mean u look at fRod and think, theres a cl_utch player.
i really do hope u do well. Once u get out of open and into IM then we will see. Cause source open is to keep nubs that no nothing of practice and strategy at bay, as well as hackers. Im is the real beginning of a source team.
The only problem i have with this team is the fact that it might hurt the game. In such, say they make cal-m, or even cal-i. CGS is going to draft them even if they arent the best choice, just becuz its the first all females to make cal-i or something of that nature. They will have less experience then some of the other teams as well as skill and still make a draft just for there sex. Dont get me wrong, if they are able to hold there own againist coL or 3D then yeah there deserving. But if they get drafted and take last place in cgs. I will be sorely upset.
Damn, I never envisioned so many people reading this or commenting.
I’m glad it got around because I did put some time into it, and I’m glad the majority of you enjoyed it.
As for the girls being hypocrites, I DIRECTED THE QUESTOIN IN A SEXIST WAY, so don’t blame them, they were only responding to the answers with truth and piercing honesty on the troubles alot of guys have given them, and why doesn’t that surprise me when we have people like Bob(poster above) in this community who will go out of his way to be ignorant.
who me?
i think i complimented them as long as they have true skill and practice.
If they make cgs cause of the gender and not caliber, is that fair to the males?
Like i said, if the skill is there, GREAT. IF it is not, then let them build it and become a real cgs worthy team. dont give it to them cause of there gender. thats with any sport.
I mean am i really saying something that is prejuidice? I really think its a fair judgement. could be wrong, not the first time, lol
No, not you, Mikey.
I am jesus
I’m being ignorant? I don’t care how your questions were directed, they still did not have to respond the way they did, and they did. Now obviously, one person does NOT represent the WHOLE team, but even one person can lower their reputation as a whole, in my eyes. I’m just stating what I believe to be true, I’m sorry that I’m not allowed to have an opinion because I’m talking about a female team. I suppose I could talk all the shit I want about a male team?
Like I said, I hold no grudges to a female team, but they shouldn’t complain about guys being prejudiced towards them when they do the same exact thing.
The girls aren’t generalizing and saying all guy are assholes and are ignorant. They’re saying a few are and they’re relating their experiences.
The guys however, are, when they make jokes about how women shouldn’t play CS because there shouldn’t be a computer in the kicthen.
FEMALE GAMERS: Taking Competitive Gaming By Storm | Eplayr.com…
Nonpareil, an all female CS:Source team is taking CAL-Open by storm. They are…
Look, you’re out to prove “the guys” that you are good? In CAL-Open? Good luck.
BTW I am announcing in this post that I am going to make an ALL-WHITE American team right now. We’re going to find a really mysterious and vague name that really just looks unique so that we stand out… *********ATTENTION************
[/sarcasm]
we have a name for teams like yours… ATTENTION WHORES
pz
ps. I hate girls.
BGamer, your gay so who cares what you have to say about a girl team?. On to other matters, who said they were out to prove that they were good? Maybe they just wanna make it far in CAL and what not just like most other teams. Once again, just because they are girls doesn’t mean that they are looking for attention. But if you think about it, most teams are out to get their name known and get popular in the CS community. You have no argument.
Yeah, imo, I think maybe on the rarest occasions do they get a comment from a male team that would’ve been sexist. :\ To make an “all-girls” team is sexist in itself. I didn’t go out of my way to only find male members to join my team…nor did I go out of my way to find only one kind of race members, only young members, or only old members.
Just my 2 cents.
lol Jonathan “FODDER” Reynolds is in love with some female CS player by the name of XTINA ( #XTINA @ IRC.GameSurge.NET) and i asked muffin from EGLN if he treated her good too. appearently FODDER tries to compensate for people like Mike by being a sweetheart to them lol… FODDER is the e-p1mp
i mean the XTINA that plays 1.6 (the italian one, not this one). you’d never guess she played CAL-Main with j1n by looking at her myspace: http://www.myspace.com/italana06 (shes the one on the right :o)
btw , GO FODDER!
FODDER > fRoD
FODDER > ksharp
FODDER > cogu
FODDER > weym0
FODDER > pondfiller
FODDER > solo
FODDER = BEST CS AWPER(AND MABYE CSS AWPER) IN THE WORLD!!!!
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE AMAZING CS LESSON AND THE FREE SNEAK PREVIEW TO YOUR CS GUIDE, Inside the Insight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#FODDER @ IRC.GameSurge.NET the guy is nice enough to give his lessons for free now that he left FPSTrainers !!!!! WTF LOL
http://www.myspace.com/italiana06 *fixed link
tagooraq…
tagooraq…