One reason I play Hattrick is because I like the cyclical nature of the game. You start with an idea about what kind of team you want to build, then you train long-term (up to 3 years in real life!). While you build, you can test and try to comprehend the aspect of the match simulation that you want to master. I also like the tactical choices you have to make for each match. But the most important component is the community.
I play Hattrick because it’s an addictive game. The game can be enough on its own … But by adding the community part, it borders on perfection!
I was ranked 1st of all teams in Botswana after the first league round, that was one of the best achievements for me in Hattrick. Of course there's a lot of luck involved there, but hey, they're never going to be able to take that away!
I ended up playing Hattrick because I used to play some MMORPG in the past (like Dark Age of Camelot or Ultima Online) but they were totally absorbing and some of my friends described Hattrick as "easy and casual", and I believed it (lol). I couldn’t really guess, at that time, how much time and passion I would end up putting into this game.
The Hattrick community is colourful, it really helps expand the Hattrick world. You can find plenty of helpful managers that can help you with Hattrick and real life questions.
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.