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TTA vs. TTX: The Clans   Table of Contents   Homer's Corner

A community is a group of people and places that coexist with another. For that reason, I recommend that we start calling it something different than a community. But for reference purposes, we’ll stick with the word community. You’ll understand why in a bit.

TTX and TTA share most of their similarities in the community category. Both sites had wars between players, clans, and other sites. I wrote an article in December 2007 that references a number of issues between players that spilled into something larger. This will focus more on the larger spectrum.

When Triple Triad X was functioning well, there was this other site out there called Triple Triad Online, or Questria. This other site had tons of players, all the rules in the world, and its own server to host their game on that you had to download in order to play. Having been there, it was actually kinda neat in its own respect. It formed a rivalry between the two sites because they were fighting for the same pool of players to play their site. From there, the fight changed from fighting over players to fighting over which regulars were better. Offered to create accounts for Questria players, TTX opened the challenge to Questria which was never accepted. For the record, TTX players were way better. The only converted player from Questria to TTX that was semi-successful was Yuffie4/KorsteX.

Triple Triad Advance had similar issues with a rival site Triple Triad v3 when opened. Both were extensions of Online Triple Triad after TTX went down. The sites were once again fighting for the same set of players that were looking for a new home. A lot of fighting and banning took place between the two sites. Advertising on other sites was regular as well as a general hatred for players who played on other sites. As we all know, TTA prevailed as the successful site. Triple Triad X2 was formed later on as well, but it found the same fate as v3 and we all know that TTA is the only successful Online Triple Triad site for now.

The biggest difference between the two disputes was the publicity and the amount of players. During the middle days of TTX, there was no concern for the fact that there wouldn’t be enough players playing TT that a site would go under. Both Questria and TTX had tons of players apiece. When TTX went down, the number of players took a dive as well and the two sites that emerged had no choice but to be public about trying to bring players to their site. The economy of online Triple Triad was simply way too low to be able to support two successful online sites. Questria has not been around in years, v3 and TTX2 fell, making TTA the sole survivor with the monopoly on the market of online Triple Triad players.

The only major difference in the community is that the age of the players is making a major difference on priorities. With a younger site, TTX was the thing to do online because the priority outside of school. After school, loads of players would pile online, occasionally do some homework, go to bed, and then get up and do it again. That’s just not the same anymore. In recent newsletters, the topic, “Whatever happened to..” was a regular write because there was always something to talk about. This excerpt is my rendition of that, but with an answer. TTA’s players are older and a much larger percentage of them work for a living, with TT as something they do in what little free time they get. Setting aside time to play TT isn’t quite the thing it once was. While many factors can be attributed towards the decline of TT usage online, this has to be a major factor. Life goes on. A new contingent of younger players has been flowing in a bit as of late, which brings back that young feel to the site that it used to have, but it still isn’t quite the same as the days of 100+ players online.

In concluding, between the three different categories that we have looked at today, we have learned that the more things change, the more they say the same. See? I deliver what I promise! In the decade of online Triple Triad, the game has changed so much and changed so little at the same time. Years later, I may be able to recycle this article and it will still be current news because it still hasn’t changed!