I started playing Hattrick because some of my co-workers absolutely wanted to introduce me to Hattrick. When I finally tried, it was the Valentine's Day of 2009 … and I am still here, ten years later!
I love Hattrick because it's simple. It is not taking much time to learn the dynamics, but you can tweak it forever. I love Hattrick because to me it is like Subbuteo or Risk. It is simple to learn but hard to master. It's still exciting to wait for 90 minutes to see the result of a game, four months to see the end of a season. I love Hattrick because it is possible to set goals for several years, to see your team growing up, to learn the names of the players, and to build memories about them.
I like that Hattrick is a slow game. Here, I have time to think everything over. I also appreciate that Hattrick gives everybody the chance to be the best because you can't buy in-game advantages.
When I started my studies back in 2002, one of my roommates played Hattrick. He was really excited when he explained the game to me, so I started playing. In the first year of playing, I got an HT-mail from someone who was living nearby. At this moment he is still one of my best friends. We both started playing again when we first stopped playing somewhere in 2008.
The game concept I like the most is the Special Events system, which allows multiple tactical options that are almost equal in strength. In general I think the Youth Academy is the best feature in the game as it creates a close connection to your own players.
I started playing Hattrick in the summer of 2002 when a friend, who I played "Fantasy Wrestling" with online, told me about Hattrick. I made many mistakes in the beginning. At that time there was no such thing as mentors or beginners' guides. So my very first club was bankrupt after only a few weeks. Luckily, I was able to restart with a new club shortly after that and then I did a lot better.