Age

[Edaarin]

That Dargius thread got me sort of curious. How old is everyone? I started playing when I was around 12, I don't think I acted like a hyperactive thyril with Tourette's syndrome like some '23 year olds' on this forum, and I was always under the impression that most people who played Gemstone were in the 18-25 age group (with noteable exceptions).

I'm 19 now.

[Trinitis]

Hrm..I started when I was about 14, and now I'm almost 24 (in a week).

-Adredrin

[Scott]

I'll turn 28 on September 18th.

[Bobmuhthol]

I started when I was 10. Now I'm 13.

[Betheny]

I'll be 23 on October 23rd. Yay me.

I've played off and on since I was probably 15 or so. I've consistently played since early 2000. (That's a guess. I don't know for sure.)

[Solkern]

I'll be 22 october 27th!

[Bobmuhthol]

Most birthdays are in October, and the day with the most birthdays is October 5th.

[Edited on 8-13-2003 by Bobmuhthol]

[Drew2]

I started around 12. I'm 18.

Bob, you are not 13. Nor did you start when you were 10.

[Bobmuhthol]

Yes, I am 13. Yes, I started when I was 10.

[Skaster]

Started when I was 8, now I'm 17.

[Drew2]

I want to see a birth certificate.

The reason I doubt is because they do not teach the level of gramatical structure as you proclaim to know in 9th grade. And sue me if I can not conceive a 10 year old playing a text based game when games like Diablo and what-not were around.

That, and your spelling is better than most adults I know.

[Edited on 8-13-2003 by Tayre]

[Caels]

I started at 18, now I'm 22. Won't be 23 until next May.

[Drew2]

Originally posted by Skaster
Started when I was 8, now I'm 17.

:lol:

[Skaster]

I'm serious. I didn't start roleplaying until I was about 13, but I was leveling up even when I was 8. Took me a good month to get to level 1. ;0

[Bobmuhthol]

<<The reason I doubt is because they do not teach the level of gramatical structure as you proclaim to know in 9th grade.>>

I'm starting eighth grade in a month. I have to go to High School every day for Algebra II Honors because I'm too smart for Algebra I (I took it with the eighth grade last year for a quarter of the year, I already knew most of it).

[Drew2]

You HAVE to be kidding me. My 9 year old brother couldn't last 30 seconds in this game. Nor does he have the attention span for it. Stick him in front of his GameCube and he's a happy camper, though.

[Skaster]

I had nothing better to do. My brother was on the SNES all the time, and my computer as 50mhz/2400 baud modem at the time.

[Drew2]

For some reason I thought 13 was 9th grade. It's 14. Oh well. Either way, you're exagerating somewhere.

[Drew2]

So your parents forked out the money for the game when you were 8 years old? That's terribly unlikely. Or you're a spoiled rich kid.

[Bobmuhthol]

I'm not exaggerating anything. I told you, I'm 13, started at 10, and have to take advanced mathematics because I'm just that superior.

[Drew2]

Ok Klaive.

[Skaster]

Um. It was free back when I was 8. They didn't start charging until the year 2000. My parents payed for AOl, yes, and I don't think that 20 dollars a month is 'a spoiled rich kid'. And even so, I *did* get allowance, bitch.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Tayre
So your parents forked out the money for the game when you were 8 years old? That's terribly unlikely. Or you're a spoiled rich kid.

Yes, his parents must be Bill gate's son to pay for the internet and $9.95 for Gemstone.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<They didn't start charging until the year 2000.>>

You're about four years late. You had to pay for GemStone on AOL. It was free on Prodigy.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
<<They didn't start charging until the year 2000.>>

You're about four years late. You had to pay for GemStone on AOL. It was free on Prodigy.

It was free on AOL too. For a little bit all you had to do was pay for your AOL account, Gemstone was free.

[Bobmuhthol]

You had to pay hourly on AOL...

[Scott]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
You had to pay hourly on AOL...

I played on AOL, before it went to the web, it was free. Websites don't tell you everything.....

[Bobmuhthol]

Do not doubt me.

Fall 1995
Magic contract with Microprose goes *poof*

GemStone III De-ICEd, opens on AOL

February 1, 1996
DragonRealms opens on Genie

May 1, 1996
Simutronics moves to new office: 1500 Wall Street

June 3, 1996
DragonRealms Open Beta on AOL

July 2, 1996
Simutronics signs contract with CompuServe

July 25, 1996
DragonRealms live on AOL

October 15, 1996
DragonRealms opens on Prodigy

December 1, 1996
AOL switches to flat-rate pricing

[Scott]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
Do not doubt me.

Fall 1995
Magic contract with Microprose goes *poof*

GemStone III De-ICEd, opens on AOL

February 1, 1996
DragonRealms opens on Genie

May 1, 1996
Simutronics moves to new office: 1500 Wall Street

June 3, 1996
DragonRealms Open Beta on AOL

July 2, 1996
Simutronics signs contract with CompuServe

July 25, 1996
DragonRealms live on AOL

October 15, 1996
DragonRealms opens on Prodigy

December 1, 1996
AOL switches to flat-rate pricing

You proved yourself wrong in your own post, thanks for saving me the trouble.

[Drew2]

I've been playing for 6 years and I've been paying the whole time. GS started charging in 2000 my ass.

And um... I should have empasized that his parents were paying for an online game at the age of 8. I don't know about other people, but my parents would have never dished out money for an online game for an 8 year old. Especially when there are plenty of other things an 8 year old can do to entertain themselves for free.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Tayre
I've been playing for 6 years and I've been paying the whole time. GS started charging in 2000 my ass.

And um... I should have empasized that his parents were paying for an online game at the age of 8. I don't know about other people, but my parents would have never dished out money for an online game for an 8 year old. Especially when there are plenty of other things an 8 year old can do to entertain themselves for free.

Your parents must have been evil. :P My parents use to buy me games and toys when I was little, most of which totaled more then $9.95 a month. My younger brother use to get $50.00 n64 games and stuff..... $9.95 for a month for entertainment for your kid is pretty cheap if you ask me.

[Trinitis]

I know GS was free on aol for a time..because thats where I started playing.

-Adredrin

[Bobmuhthol]

Yes, GemStone was free on AOL for a time. Then it was $3-4 an hour.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
Yes, GemStone was free on AOL for a time. Then it was $3-4 an hour.

No, it was hourly, then it went to free, then it went the web.

[Drew2]

I give up. 8 year olds shouldn't be playing text based online games. End of discussion.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Tayre
I give up. 8 year olds shouldn't be playing text based online games. End of discussion.

How about Playstation 2?

[Drew2]

I was playing Nintendo at 3. You're asking the wrong person.

[Scott]

Stargate84 (9:21:05 PM): Just say it... I was right, you were wrong
Bob Muhthol (9:21:14 PM): You were right, and I was wrong.

Bob finally admitted I was right. It was free on AOL. BOB WAS WRONG and he admitted it, what a surprise.

[Edited on 8-13-2003 by Gemstone101]

[Bobmuhthol]

Stargate84 (9:22:39 PM): Just say it... I was right, you were wrong
Bob Muhthol (9:22:48 PM): I was right, and you were wrong.

[Red Devil]

Originally posted by Tayre
I want to see a birth certificate.

The reason I doubt is because they do not teach the level of gramatical structure as you proclaim to know in 9th grade. And sue me if I can not conceive a 10 year old playing a text based game when games like Diablo and what-not were around.

That, and your spelling is better than most adults I know.

[Edited on 8-13-2003 by Tayre]

Well i'm sure if people took the damn time to proof read what they type they wouldn't be so bad at it

[Scott]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
Stargate84 (9:22:39 PM): Just say it... I was right, you were wrong
Bob Muhthol (9:22:48 PM): I was right, and you were wrong.

stop editting crap.... You know you said it. Why don't you take a screen shot and edit that too.....

[Hips]

I'm 17 now, started playing when I was 15... I'll be 18 in a couple months, though. :saint:

[longshot]

I'm 23.

Started serious playing at 16.

Did not play my senior year in high school, or all of college.

Summer in Japan is really hot, so I started playing again just to see if I was missing anything.

I get paid good money to read flashcards to really stupid Japanese kids. This allows me to fully take advantage of my cushy hours and do whatever the hell I want in Japan... it's a beautiful thing.

[Zentoph]

I'm fifteen now, I probably started playing when I was twelve or something, I forgot.

If you are wondering how I stumbled across a MUD with all the other graphicly appealing games out there, a friend recommended Dragonrealms to me in a game of TFC, so I checked it out on Zone. I lost interest in that fast, so I decided to sign up for a free trial as Gemstone as I was bored and looking for something to do. I would've lost interest in that as well, but Ariond showed me how to play, and involved me in alot of roleplay even though I kept saying "why dont u report when he kidnaps your wife"

Heh, anyway.. There is a story alot of you probably didn't want you to hear. Oh, and I have to 'represent for the younger generation, you others can have Haashek.

-Player of Soroth

[Praefection]

I'm 23 and started playing when it was free on Aol. I think I was 17 or around there. Quit after the move to the web came back in 99-00, left and then came back in 02. Ahhhh, the addiction of my life.

[Soulpieced]

I started playing around August 1996 when AOL still charged an hourly rate. I remember reporting bogus stuff to AOL to get free hours so I could play more. Still didn't help the 500 dollar AOL bills. I'm 21 now.

[Artha]

I'm 16. I've been playing since I was 9 or so.

[Varsus]

I Just Turned 22 In May.

I First Started Playing 3 Days After My Birthday '97.

Cut Back To A Few Select Hours A Week While In College So That I Could Have A Life. (It was nice)

Went Premi When The World Didn’t End In 2000

If My Parents Would Have Paid For My Internet At 8 I’m Sure Some Obscene Porn Site Would Have Traumatized Me For Life.

-Varsus

[Red Devil]

capitalizing the word of each new setence=good

capitalizing every word=VERY FUCKING BAD.

[Ilvane]

I'm 27, my birthday is in September though.

I started playing on Compuserve back in 1996.

-A

[Sweets]

I am thirty now. Started playing about 4 years back. My mom played with me often, she was 50 at the time.

Is that a record?

[StrayRogue]

Hey Ilvane! I started on Compuserve! Do you remember the old Play graphic? And the four other options? I also remember it being a white screen with black writing. When I came over to the normal web, the black and white switch over really did my eyes in. Ahh memories.

[Drew2]

Originally posted by Sweets
I am thirty now. Started playing about 4 years back. My mom played with me often, she was 50 at the time.

Is that a record?

Not by any means. I know players older than that. Jamiesonn is like late 50's. I heard Skyfawn and Silversoft such are rather old too.

[Trinitis]

Skyfawn is not that old..The person who got me started on the game showed Skyfawn how to hunt rats..and that was back when it was free on AOL.

-Adredrin

[Trinitis]

Oh you mean the players age..hehe, never mind.

-Adredrin

[Edaarin]

Isn't Snowie like a grandmother or something...?

[Methais]

I'm 25, started playing when I was 18.

[Edited on 8-15-2003 by Methais]

[Bobmuhthol]

I'll trade Bob for Methais.

[Methais]

Ok. And how the hell do you respond so fast? Do you just sit there hitting F5 24/7 til something new pops up?

[Bobmuhthol]

F5 refreshes? Goddamnit. I use CTRL + R.

[Methais]

Oh, I meant uh, ALT+F4

[Bobmuhthol]

Stupid.

[AnticorRifling]

Any bets on how many people tried that Methais?

Sometimes being a computer nerd takes the fun out of it, I looked at it and said wait that just... and started laughing.

[Drew2]

Originally posted by Methais
Oh, I meant uh, ALT+F4
That is so old. Go to any non-rpg and there will be people trying to pull that all the time.

Retard: "How do I switch weapons?"
Smart ass: "Push alt + f4"
-Retard has left the game-
Smart ass: "Pwnd!"

[ogurty]

Originally posted by Tayre
I give up. 8 year olds shouldn't be playing text based online games. End of discussion.

I'm fucking sick of the mindset so many parents have that they need to force their kids into "what normal kids do". My parents let me do whatever I had fun doing. Before I was 10, I played Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Gemstone, and an online Hearts ladder/league. I'm not a misanthropic nerd and I'm not fraught with various neuroses from my lack of a "normal childhood". I have a fully active social life and I apparently did pretty well in school, since I got into Harvard after high school this year. Gee, if only my parents had forced me to play nintendo instead of Gemstone, maybe I'd have turned out okay.

And one more thing, I'm not sure it Bob's 13 or not (I wouldn't be surprised, I've seen the immaturity in his posts), but I had at least that level of grammatical prowess when I was 13. By the sixth grade both of my parents were asking me how to spell words. You must not know many kids if you can't find one who knows grammar.

Hunter

[ogurty]

Oh yeah, on topic...I'm 18 now, started when I was 9. And Skaster, the game was not free in 1994. :P

[imported_Kranar]

It's incredibly difficult to tell someones age through the internet. I mean we love to be able to just easily stereotype and comfort ourselves by thinking certain people are young if they "act" young over the internet, and old if they "act" mature, but when you really think about it, that doesn't even mean anything. The irony is that the way one acts, is really just that, an act.

The scary thing about the internet is that you can turn into whomever you want. If Bob is 13, then he can pretend to be 24 or 50. And if he's 24 or 50, then he can pretend to be 13.

That's why honesty is important, especially on message boards. Very little on the internet should ever be taken at face value.

[Bestatte]

I was a late bloomer to the whole RPG thing. People just didn't have PCs when I went to college, and the internet was some mysterious geek thing that "normal" people didn't even talk about, let alone use.

I teetered between a "normal" person and a "geek," having inherited my geekness from dear old dad (oh he of the thick black-rimmed glasses who I love so dearly) and enough neurosis from mom that it offset the eternal geek in me.

So by the time I discovered Gemstone, I had only been using online services for around a year, and I believe I was around 32 years old. I played religiously for 6 years, then sporadically for another year at the most.

I'm 42 now, and I still play RPGs, just not GS. I know a few folks who are older than I am who play text games, including one who's well into his 60's.

Oh and ogurty, thanks for that post. It's nice to see someone using words that are big enough that I can appreciate their vocabulary, but not so big that I have to look the damned words up!

[Drew2]

Originally posted by ogurty

Originally posted by Tayre
I give up. 8 year olds shouldn't be playing text based online games. End of discussion.

I'm fucking sick of the mindset so many parents have that they need to force their kids into "what normal kids do". My parents let me do whatever I had fun doing. Before I was 10, I played Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, Gemstone, and an online Hearts ladder/league. I'm not a misanthropic nerd and I'm not fraught with various neuroses from my lack of a "normal childhood". I have a fully active social life and I apparently did pretty well in school, since I got into Harvard after high school this year. Gee, if only my parents had forced me to play nintendo instead of Gemstone, maybe I'd have turned out okay.

And one more thing, I'm not sure it Bob's 13 or not (I wouldn't be surprised, I've seen the immaturity in his posts), but I had at least that level of grammatical prowess when I was 13. By the sixth grade both of my parents were asking me how to spell words. You must not know many kids if you can't find one who knows grammar.

Hunter

Ok.. I'm going to stroke your ego, since it's pretty evident it's what you want.

You sound like (assuming everything you said is true, as Kranar mentioned) an exceptionally bright person. Keyword being exceptionally. Not (nearly) every child has the intelligence to do a lot of what you did, nor the attention span. And if you truly found half the things you listed interesting at the age of 9, you DO have some neuroses, I'm afraid.

What ever happened to action figures and playing with toy guns oustide?

[ogurty]

Originally posted by Tayre
Ok.. I'm going to stroke your ego, since it's pretty evident it's what you want.

I'm not searching for praise. I merely pointed out that it's very possible that Bob is 13 years old. But in a world where everyone is indoctrinated with modesty, I can see where my mentioning an achievement or two would give a false impression to someone who doesn't know me.


You sound like (assuming everything you said is true, as Kranar mentioned) an exceptionally bright person. Keyword being exceptionally. Not (nearly) every child has the intelligence to do a lot of what you did, nor the attention span. And if you truly found half the things you listed interesting at the age of 9, you DO have some neuroses, I'm afraid.

What ever happened to action figures and playing with toy guns oustide?

This is exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't have the toys every other kid has, you're weird. There's something wrong with you. I had action figures, I just never enjoyed them much. You have no idea whether or not I "have some neuroses" (judging by your use of the word, I'm not sure you know what neuroses means). I'd imagine the kids who grow up crazy are more likely to have parents who forced them into football at age 4, not who allowed them to do anything they had fun with.

[Drew2]

First of all, I didn't mean 'some' in the sense that you had 'a group of'. I meant 'some' as in "have a type of". I do know what the word means, so eat me.

Second of all, the fact that you had fun playing Hearts at that age compared to doing simplistic things does indeed confirm your abnormality. Superiority. Exceptionality. Pick one.

[Betheny]

I've always been of the opinion that age doesn't really indicate maturity level. You can be 10 years old and be more mature than most of the 25 year olds I know. It's mostly dependent upon your life experiences, and where you are in your particular 'big picture'.

The Internet isn't a good way to determin someone's actual age, but it CAN be a great indicator as to their maturity level.

[imported_Kranar]

<< The Internet isn't a good way to determin someone's actual age, but it CAN be a great indicator as to their maturity level. >>

I think it's neither personally. The internet just isn't a sufficient tool to carry someones personality. You can only know how mature someone is after knowing them well for a certain period of time, like after working with them as part of a team or project.

I feel that if someone is a commonly known and immature snert, that only applies to them as they exist in Gemstone. They could be bringing in that personality from their real life personality, but they may not. Like heck the common snerts we always talk about and pick on, to me they're just Gemstone snerts and in real life they may be entirely different. Most people I dislike here, I may think they're actually decent honest people if I met them in real life, and people who may like me here may think I'm a total ass in person.

This is just my experience and take on things. The internet is a great way to mask your identity, to create a new persona for yourself. It's only when confronted face to face that ones true identity and character can be known.

[Edited on 8-15-2003 by Kranar]

[imported_Kranar]

Just some other points to back up my arguement...

Really, it's just too easy to be mature or immature on the internet. If you're immature, it's likely because heck, no one is ever going to meet you in real life so go ahead and piss people off, no biggie or anything. And if you want to act mature, well there isn't a whole lot to be mature about. It's not like most people on a message board are given such a noble task on the internet that they have to take seriously and in such a mature manner. Maturity over the internet is just too easy, you use some stupid spell checker, pretend to be all nice, and there you have it.

I say this because there are people who can be both mature and immature and switch back and forth. Like for example Scintillion, Blademaster and one other individual. They both could sound like they were scholars in some posts, and in other posts you'd think they were 6 years old.

[Betheny]

Ever since I started attending Gemstone gatherings, I've realized that most of the people who sit behind their computers and snipe at people do so because it's comfortable for them. There are little or no consequences for them to deal with.

Prior to Simucon, there was a big mess of trouble with some friends of mine. Some of these friends decided that my personal life should become my public life (As I'm sure some of you have witnessed on these boards. COUGH). I ended up going to Simucon, and I think I surprised the hell out of one of these so-called friends of mine.

Because I walked up to him when he arrived, and I told him exactly what I had said the evening before I left to go to 'con (in an IM): If there's a problem, let's deal with it. Now.

Surprise -- he backed off, until he was safely behind the security blanket that doubles as his computer monitor. Loser.

I am the kind of person who will say things, but never would I say something behind a person's back that I wouldn't say to their face.

I think that's why I enjoy group discussions more than I do 'private' IM logs. If I say it here, or in a chat room -- it's not private.

To me, that's a maturity issue, not an age issue. You can certainly make a judgement on a person's maturity level by how they deal with you, both in an RP situation, and in other means of Internet comunnication. Especially if there is conflict involved.

[Drew2]

I am the kind of person who will say things, but never would I say something behind a person's back that I wouldn't say to their face.


Hell to the yes.

[ogurty]

Originally posted by Tayre
Second of all, the fact that you had fun playing Hearts at that age compared to doing simplistic things does indeed confirm your abnormality. Superiority. Exceptionality. Pick one.

And my point is that an abnormal child is not a bad thing, and not something a parent should attempt to change. So maybe we agree and maybe not. Oh well.

Hunter

[Lord Whirlin]

I'll admit to being an abnormal child... I've gone to therapy for my 'adiction' to Gemstone, they've tried to get me to quit, they've tried to introduce other things into my life to take it's place, and nothing's worked.
I first joined Elanthian when I was in 5th Grade, I was probably 10-11 when I started. When I was in 6th grade, my father died. Reality sucked, I needed a place to get away from reality and just live, a place where I could be myself. Lets face it, I could have tried finding new, interesting people to talk with, hang out with. But I don't know how many of you remember middle/Jr. High school. The kids are mean, nasty, and all out to kill eachother. I've been playing Gemstone ever since. When it made the switch to the net, my loyalty was unchanged. I may be one of those abnormal children that people think of, but when you look into it, it's not so abnormal to my situation.
I guess I can admit that I have an adiction to gemstone. It's healthier than a drug adiction, I don't really hurt myself for my Gemstone. It'd doing no harm to be abnormal.
It kind of reminds me of an old chainletter that went around the gemstone community 8 years ago when I first joined Gemstone, "10 signs that you are addicted to Gemstone" I remember thinking that each one applied to me... but through the years, I've lost the original text. If anyone else remembers this, lets see a posting of it, I'd love to see it again. I only remember #7 or something was "I've dremt in text."

[Artha]

I'm also an abnormal child, woo. I've been playing since third grade. I think the only thing that makes me different is that I've taken in alot from my brother (who introduced my to the game, sort of), and that I'm a bit paler than normal, and a little fatter than I'd like to be. I'm also super smart, which is working out.

[longshot]

Originally posted by ogurty

I have a fully active social life and I apparently did pretty well in school, since I got into Harvard after high school this year. Gee, if only my parents had forced me to play nintendo instead of Gemstone, maybe I'd have turned out okay.



Congratulations on getting accepted at Harvard.

Are you going?

[Bobmuhthol]

Twelve years old. 550 in logic and reasoning on the SAT. My language score sucked.. I think it was 380. But 550 > High School Seniors.

[Soulpieced]

Twelve years old. 550 in logic and reasoning on the SAT. My language score sucked.. I think it was 380. But 550 > High School Seniors.

.

I think you're turning into Boklaivethol

[Drew2]

Originally posted by Lord Whirlin
I'll admit to being an abnormal child... I've gone to therapy for my 'adiction' to Gemstone, they've tried to get me to quit, they've tried to introduce other things into my life to take it's place, and nothing's worked.
I first joined Elanthian when I was in 5th Grade, I was probably 10-11 when I started. When I was in 6th grade, my father died. Reality sucked, I needed a place to get away from reality and just live, a place where I could be myself. Lets face it, I could have tried finding new, interesting people to talk with, hang out with. But I don't know how many of you remember middle/Jr. High school. The kids are mean, nasty, and all out to kill eachother. I've been playing Gemstone ever since. When it made the switch to the net, my loyalty was unchanged. I may be one of those abnormal children that people think of, but when you look into it, it's not so abnormal to my situation.
I guess I can admit that I have an adiction to gemstone. It's healthier than a drug adiction, I don't really hurt myself for my Gemstone. It'd doing no harm to be abnormal.
It kind of reminds me of an old chainletter that went around the gemstone community 8 years ago when I first joined Gemstone, "10 signs that you are addicted to Gemstone" I remember thinking that each one applied to me... but through the years, I've lost the original text. If anyone else remembers this, lets see a posting of it, I'd love to see it again. I only remember #7 or something was "I've dremt in text."

Oh dear god. I've dreamed in text on several occasions... what does that mean?:no:

[Edited on 8-18-2003 by Tayre]

[Hips]

Originally posted by Tayre
Oh dear god. I've dreamed in text on several occasions... what does that mean?:no:
[Edited on 8-18-2003 by Tayre]

I dream in text sometimes, too. But once I dreamed (dreamt?) (not in text) about some crazy ritual type thing that Ulial and a bunch of other Dark Elves were doing to make a bunch of people younger.

I remember the first time they tried to do it, the person they were doing the ritual for died. The second time it was Calean, and he came out of it fine.

It makes me wish I had a dream-interpretation book. Though I doubt "Dark Elves" and "rituals" would be in there.

[Caels]

Dream interpretation books are pretty much useless. Because different things will have different meanings to you than the author of the book.

Symbolism in dreams is your own, and if you can you are encouraged to interpret them without aid.

[draconis nematoda]

I started playing in '96 on Prodigy just for laughs. But when they began charging extra, I stopped. Then I found out GS was on AOL and tried there for a bit, then when they charged extra I gave up again.
Never played much either on Prodigy or AOL.
When GSIII went to the web, that's when I started playing seriously.

I turned 49 last month, guess I win eh?

Ray

[Artha]

I've dreamed in text once or twice...and both times had to do with the GSS...

[Edaarin]

790 and 730, I'm a nerd. I know exactly which math question I missed too, it's been killing me since.

[Drinin]

I was 13 when I started, i'll turn 21 in September.

[Neildo]

I was playing Nintendo at 3. You're asking the wrong person.

Heh, that's pretty scary when I think about it. I've been playing video/computer games since I was 3 too and I'm 24 now. I can literally say I've been gaming for over 20 years. Damn that makes me feel so old, it's like I should be retiring from gaming, heh. Where's my damn retirement check from all those companies? :P It all started with Donkey King on the Intellevision or Colecovision and also tons of Apple II/e games.. mainly RPG and fantasy-based.


Second of all, the fact that you had fun playing Hearts at that age compared to doing simplistic things does indeed confirm your abnormality. Superiority. Exceptionality. Pick one.

Hehe, I love Hearts -- that's my favorite card game. I started playing it at a young age too and my first hand I shot the moon. Of course, at the time I didn't even realize it. :P That's where I learned to count cards and also manipulate (in general) as well.

My dad's friends would come over and they'd play a couple games of Hearts and watch golf on TV to see how some of their friends were doing. And when they weren't playing Hearts, they'd play historical and/or fantasy wargames and other strategy-based computer games. Empire and Warlords were ones we played a ton. That all influenced my tastes and it's one reason why most of my friends are older than me. I mean heck, I don't know many younger people that would like watching golf, playing grouped card games, and also war/strategy computer games over more adventure-based Nintendo games.. which I owned too but I still prefer games that make me think.

As for Gemstone, I started playing it around Ocotober of '96 (17, near start of senior year). I was looking for multiplayer games on the internet other than Links (which I kicked ass at. Haven't played it since Links 486 even though I own the current versions) since Doom ran slow on my computer over the net. I was always a quick typist since I grew up with a computer and I decided to try out Gemstone since it was RPG fantasy-based. I thought it sucked because it all scrolled too quickly and someone helped me out and gave me an amulet but at the time there was no way to turn it off so it scrolled even more. Anyhow I quit but tried it again 2 weeks later and have been hooked ever since (well, the past 2-3 years have immensely declined.. the past year the worst). It became even more fun when I finally found out about the Wizard front end, heh. So I've been playing two months shy of 7 years and only had two months bills that weren't flat rate which were around $350 each.

- N

[AnticorRifling]

I started playing in Feb of '00. I was stationed in 29 Palms CA which is nothing but desert. Since I wasn't allowed to have my car there I needed something to do that would kill time because I had lots of it on my hands. My friend and I both bought laptops and while I'm online one day playing Euchre he offers to show me an RPG that he used to play and was starting up again. He had all the spell guides, maps, herb guides, etc printed out and in a binder. I looked them over and said sure I used to play stuff like this on table top. Well since then I only stopped for about 5 months when I got stationed over in NC and

*My laptop just bit the dust!

on the way from CA. I'll turn 23 in Feb so I guess I'm the mid range of players. Just got married two weeks ago and I get out of the Marines this Friday so we will see how much longer I play not that my life is going to change drastically.

[Edaarin]

You been fitted for your shackles yet Anticor?

[GS4Gurl]

Originally posted by Lord Whirlin
I'll admit to being an abnormal child... I've gone to therapy for my 'adiction' to Gemstone, they've tried to get me to quit, they've tried to introduce other things into my life to take it's place, and nothing's worked.
I first joined Elanthian when I was in 5th Grade, I was probably 10-11 when I started. When I was in 6th grade, my father died. Reality sucked, I needed a place to get away from reality and just live, a place where I could be myself. Lets face it, I could have tried finding new, interesting people to talk with, hang out with. But I don't know how many of you remember middle/Jr. High school. The kids are mean, nasty, and all out to kill eachother. I've been playing Gemstone ever since. When it made the switch to the net, my loyalty was unchanged. I may be one of those abnormal children that people think of, but when you look into it, it's not so abnormal to my situation.
I guess I can admit that I have an adiction to gemstone. It's healthier than a drug adiction, I don't really hurt myself for my Gemstone. It'd doing no harm to be abnormal.
It kind of reminds me of an old chainletter that went around the gemstone community 8 years ago when I first joined Gemstone, "10 signs that you are addicted to Gemstone" I remember thinking that each one applied to me... but through the years, I've lost the original text. If anyone else remembers this, lets see a posting of it, I'd love to see it again. I only remember #7 or something was "I've dremt in text."

Yep yep I know which one you are referring to cus I wrote it.

You know you play too much Gemstone III when...



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



* You wake up in the morning looking for obvious exits.

*You check the newspaper for recent spell changes.

*You check around at your work for a real gem.

*You're inordinately wary of anyone who appears to be in their 90's or older.

*Your dog only has three legs because of ambush training.

*You try to control your pets with your mind.

*You wait until you have full magic power before leaving your home.

*You carry everything you need in your clothing.

*You get locked out of your car and when the locksmith comes to let you in, you constantly ask him if hes gotten a read yet.

*Your first thought upon witnessing a fatal accident on T.V. is "LK!".

*Upon entering the emergency room you ask if anyone can take a bleeder.

*You give directions in the form of "n, ne, s, go walk...."

*You say "aye" or "nae" at any point.

*You blame your accident on bad rolls.

*You blame your accidents on bad weather.

*You suddenly become very secretive when entering and leaving the bathroom.

*You rummage around in your pockets for silver.

*You take work off early to go home and rest because your mind is full.

*You lick people.

*You remove and wear your rings with the intent of actually going somewhere.

*You wish for a disk so you dont have to carry anything.

*Real life is your hobby.

*You flail.

*Instead of muttering or laughing you actually say "mutter" and "laugh."

*You dream in text.

submitted June 4th, 2001

[Edited on 8-19-2003 by GS4Gurl]

[GS4Gurl]

I wrote this one as well and it could apply here too. Hehehehe :lol:

Top 10 Things A GSIII Addict Does While On Temporary Lockout.

10. Your in denial the first few days and continuously try to log in,
only to find yourself in the consultation lounge everytime.
You then get in a heated argument with your imaginary friend Bob and finally give up.


9. You spend a solid week in the GSIII Chatroom with some idiot named JoeDawg slinging racial slurs at everybody. You and Joe become good buddies and compare swastika tattoes and exchange tips on how to keep your Klan uniform looking so crisp, white, and wrinkle free.


8. You try to improvise by running around in your backyard
kicking over ant hills causing them to spill out. Your eyes widen and you
begin waving your hands over your head and scream, "Invasion! Help!
Invasion!"


7. You buy a necklace on Ebay and email the owner asking
if its imbeddable.


6. You walk to the nearest park and ask people to spell
you up, and frighten the children by pointing at them and screaming,
"Hobbits!"


5. You kill a spider with a tarnished spoon, you found
under the refridgerator hoping that will imbed it with Web. You think it
actually worked!


4. You offer your roommate 5k for the gold ring she
is wearing. She looks at you as if your nuts. You say, "Well only 5k if its
fresh." She slaps you across the face, so you keep waving your tarnished
spoon at her, but nothing seems to happen.


3. A salesman comes to your door and you begin yelling,
"Merchant!" at the top of your lungs, so your neighbors would know. The salesman
becomes terrified and runs off. You chase him down the block begging him
for alters.



2. You spend the day before your lockout is over, stocking
up on bags of Doritoes, 2-liter bottles of Coke, and twinkies. You install
a toilet infront of your computer with a soft cushy padded seat, cus God
knows your fat ass ain't movin from that spot for who knows how long. So
much time to make up for!

And the number one answer is...

1. Ahh the wait is over, you pull down your pants and
sit on your comfy new toilet and open a nice fresh bag of chips and get
comfortable. Suddenly your doorbell rings! Men in funny white coats drag
you and your pantless self away to their funny white van. You begin convulsing
uncontrollably and wailing, "Nooo! please God, Nooo!"


:moon:

[Edited on 8-19-2003 by GS4Gurl]

[Parkbandit]

lol

[Artha]

Men in funny white coats drag
you and your pantless self away to their funny white van.

Is it bad that my first thought was 'You got LCI'd!'?

[Drew2]

:lol: That's one of the funniest things I've seen on the boards. Thanks, GS4Gurl

[peam]

I started in GS back a few months before AOL went unlimited. I had a few bills of $100+, and Dad got pissed, etc.

So that was what? December 1996?

I've been gaming for a long ass time too. My Dad picked up an NES when they first dropped, and we sat in his bedroom all weekend and beat it.

I'm a little over a month into being 20.

[GS4Gurl]

Thanks.. it was fun writing it. I think its so funny cus its so true in some ways. lol

[ogurty]

Originally posted by longshot

Originally posted by ogurty

I have a fully active social life and I apparently did pretty well in school, since I got into Harvard after high school this year. Gee, if only my parents had forced me to play nintendo instead of Gemstone, maybe I'd have turned out okay.



Congratulations on getting accepted at Harvard.

Are you going?

Nope. UCLA offered me a Regent's Scholarship, so its a choice between a free ride and $30,000 a year in student loans. Although I have a little heartache for staying in Los Angeles instead of moving far far away.

Hunter

[ogurty]

Originally posted by Edaarin
790 and 730, I'm a nerd. I know exactly which math question I missed too, it's been killing me since.

ogurty = Super-Nerd Extraordinaire. 800/760. Stupid math. :mad:

Hunter

[AnticorRifling]

That's me Bro 780/690 heh back when I took the SAT's I didn't give a crap about math, didn't help that I hated my math teachers the one before/during and the one right after. Then I found and fell in love with physics and math became my new friend.

Gotta admit the first time I realized I did an entire physics assignment without having to refer to the manual that came with my TI-83 I was slightly scared. :cool:

Congrats on the acceptance. My advice take it. Don't do like me and say school is boring I'll do it later and then enlist. Do the college, then enlist! In retrospect that's what I would have/should have done.

[imported_Kranar]

I recommend going to any ol' university for your undergraduate study. As long as the university isn't some ghetto university with a poor reputation then it doesn't matter. A BA or BSc is treated the same regardless of where it came from, like I said, unless it's from some real ghetto institution.

Going to an Ivy League university only counts for a graduate degree, like a Master's degree or a Ph. D. Other than that, it's just a waste of money to get an undergrad degree from one, and I mean a HUGE waste of money.

[Edaarin]

I'm on a tuition scholarship right now, still have to pay for room and board...they keep raising prices, bastards. I feel sorry for out of state students, I think their tuition got hiked up another 15% or something ridiculous this year.

[Lord Whirlin]

[/quote]
Yep yep I know which one you are referring to cus I wrote it.
[/quote]

I just found your site tonight while I was poking around. I must have read 90% of the top 10, 12, 15, 20, and 22 things that you had on there. While old, yes, They were PRICELESS. I can't remember when I've laughed so hard. Especially the Growing pains ones. Wow... and thanks for posting it for everyone here... I was just going to do it now that I found it.