What'd I miss?

[Masked Man of Inscrutability]

Hi friends!  It is good to see you all here.

 

I was most active on the forums from about 2003 to 2006, but never fully left this place behind.  How could I?  Spiderweb's games have been a part of my life since the 90s.  And they still are.

 

I first discovered Exile 1 on a shareware CD in 1995 or 1996 I think.  I was in school at the time and didn't really grok cRPGs yet, so never even reached the shareware barrier.

 

In 1999 I discovered Nethergate somewhere on the internet, and instantly was hooked.  I'd been reading ancient Roman history in school and become fascinated with it, so an RPG set (however loosely) within that milieu appealed to me.  I bought and registered Nethergate by phone—talking with a live spiderweb person no less (probably either Miriam or Linda)—within 30 minutes of downloading the demo.  I also ordered the CD-rom for an extra $5; I still have that CD (and many others).

 

A few months later I purchased the Exile Trilogy and Blade of Exile.  Those games gave me countless hours of fun.  As did the first Avernum games, which I also purchased.

 

I remember in 2001 being absolutely blown away by Geneforge.  I could not believe how well the story accommodated different approaches to each faction, and it was so satisfying seeing an ending authored solely by your choices.  No other cRPG did that as well as Geneforge, and few have done it since.

 

I remember Geneforge 2—which remains my favorite Spiderweb game—and that first play through.  There, I played the entire game without ever using a single canister and loved that my straight-edge choice was acknowledged in the ending.  

 

It was around that time I became most active on these forums, and helped found the Cult of Richard White.

 

Then there was Blades of Avernum.  That was game I never really appreciated, and toward which I was somewhat unkind.  That was followed by Avernum 4, another game I didn't appreciate and toward which I was even less kind.  Looking back I can see that my judgment was clouded by anger and frustration completely unrelated to Spiderweb.  Those were dark days for me, and Spiderweb's games and this forum helped me cope.  Thank you for that.

 

I stepped away from the forums eventually, but never from Spiderweb's games.  Avadon and the Avernum 1 and 2 re-remakes helped relieve the stress of law school.  Queen's Wish was a delightful game to play, and I appreciated the theme of family as my own family grew and settled.  I haven't tried QW2 yet, but am sure I will enjoy it.

 

And now I can't wait for the remastering of Geneforge 2.  My favorite game-maker is busy remaking my favorite game.  I'm sure I will love it.

 

I also love that this weird little corner of the internet still exists.  Its a bit like a Time Machine where I can see back to my entire life—from childhood to now—measured in turn-based role-playing games.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Masked Man of Inscrutability

[Quiconque]

Hi friend!

 

Recognized you immediately from your custom title (#thanksdrakey).  You didn't post all the time, but when you did, it was usually something thoughtful and insightful.  You were definitely one of the (many) people who made this such a lovely place.

 

Nice to see you here again, and hope you're doing well.

[Masked Man of Inscrutability]

I am doing well, and have installed Basilisk so I can play Exile 1.  So not only am I doing well, but I'm building up some hipster credibility.