OXM=Dumbasses

An Audience with a King
A Level 50 Player Spills His Guts

For most of us, maintaining an Xbox Live ranking of over level 15 in Halo 2 is tough enough. Getting to 40, 30, or even 20 seems like a pipe dream. But what about level 50? Our heads explode at the mere thought of being that high or- worse- playing against someone who's reached that maximum rank. Do they cheat, or are they just that damn good? So to satisfy our own curiosity, we spoke with 20-year-old Clint Degen of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of only two people ranked level 50 (before the April reset, that is) in the Head to Head playlist, the purest evaluator of skill (interestingly, the only other pre-reset level 50 was his younger brother Mike).
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US: So Clint, how many hours a day do you play Halo 2?

HIM: I play on average of 6-10 hours a day, depending on how long I have work that day. But on weekends I put in 10 hours a day for sure.

US: Why do you prefer to play in the Head to Head playlist?

HIM: Because I only have to depend on myself. It's hard to try to take the leadership role in team games because everyone expects so much out of me. I can only do a certain amount; everyone needs to do their part.

US: What's your favorite Halo 2 map, and why? Least favorite?

HIM: My favorite map I would have to say would be Midship. It is close quarters and there's nowhere to hide from me, so I can finish people off more quickly there. My least favorite map would have to be Ascension because there are so many places to hide. I like action and prefer to stay in combat, not having to continually search for someone.

US: Were you trying to become a level 50 or did you just start winning a lot and end up there?

HIM: My trip to 50 was not intentional at first. I began doing Head to Heads for fun and I just kept winning. After hitting level 23 I took it to the next level and decided, "I'm going to the top."

US: Do you feel constantly pressured to stay at level 50? Did you just want to get there, or do you enjoy being "king of the hill," so to speak?

HIM: I love being level 50 and plan on staying here. To hear people's envy when they enter my games makes me feel great. People respect me for what I have accomplished and I enjoy that.

US: How do people react to you when they get matched up against you? Do they lash out and try to insult you or are they amazed at your ranking?

HIM: People all tend to react differently when I am in a game with them. Once I had a person forfeit before the match even began because he preferred to sit there and talk to me, asking me for advice. Then there are the sore losers who have an excuse for everything and think my winning is based on pure luck. They see a level 50 and think they can beat me, but they have no idea the time and work I put into this game.

US: What controller settings do you use?

HIM: I use inverted thumbsticks and sensitivity of 5. If I went higher with sensitivity it makes it too difficult to snipe, and if I went lower it makes it to hard to turn around and defen myself in a hurry.

US: Got any other hobbies?

HIM: I work as a landscaper, but for hobbies, when it's not freezing cold in Wisconsin I play basketball and other sports.

US: Finally, what tips would you give us lowly 15s to make us better players? In other words, what do most people not do that they should?

HIM: The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to practice a lot. It takes many hours to become a great Halo 2 player. I suggest spending hours on sniping, as it is the main weapin in the game in my opinion

What a fag..OXM are a bunch of morons if they believe this guy got to lvl 50 period.I cant believe they didnt get a hint that he most likelly cheated his way to the top when his brother is the only other guy who made it to lvl 50.He resently got banned for boostoing his lvl along with his brother.Give it up for the Official retards at X-box Magazine.

Do you guys encounter modders, stand byers, or glitchers very much?If so how often?I just was wodering how often people encounter cheaters.