[OT] Just how old are the IC forums?

[GnomeWorks]

This is a serious question. I am curious... just how old are they?

I know I've been around for quite awhile... November 2001, though I know that some have been around longer. I know that, a little before I got into IC games, that YB! was in the one forum for gaming. I also know that, when I started up the Psionicle, there were four or five other games going at the time (the Iconics, the Non-Iconics, the Star Wars Iconics [I think], Tom Cashel's game... I'm probably missing at least one).

But just how old is the IC forum? I don't imagine that it was too old when I first came upon it, and that was December of 2001. Anyone care to enlighten me? I'm not certain why I'm curious about this, I just am...

BTW, any mods reading this - this seemed like the place to put a question like this. If there is a more appropriate forum, feel free to move the thread!

 

[reapersaurus]

That's a darned good question, Sollir.
Something I've idly wondered about before, myself.

I just checked my oldest saved threads, and 'my' old "Paladins of the Board Unite" thread started on 6-6-01.

I know the In Character Forum was older than that, though. About 2 months or so, if memory serves. Strangely, I checked the NeMoran's Vault thread, and the first page I have saved started 7-30-01. The first non-Iconics thread I have saved is dated 9-14-01.

 

[GnomeWorks]

That's a darned good question, Sollir.

Um. Yeah... that's right. I'm Sollir. In disguise.

But anyway, thanks for the info, reaper. Is it possible that it existed two months prior to NeMoren's Vault due to YB! starting up? I don't know when that started, though, so that might be off...

 

[reapersaurus]

this makes me wonder: am I the oldest surviving participant in the In-Character Forum left?

I remember 'fighting' for the creation of the Forum, with the Iconic Adventure being the main 'draw'. Of course, the Iconics were doing their thing for probably 6 months before, in General Discussion.

I remember strongly asking for the You Bastard stuff to get their own forum (they were drowning the few games that were being played IC).

I wonder how many participants there are now in here?
I wonder how many know of the genesis of this Gaming corner?
I wonder how many are aware of the Iconic Adventure, spectacularly helmed by Piratecat himself?

 

[reapersaurus]

oops, sorry Sollir

(just kidding).

Sorry Gnomeworks - I don't know how Sollir's name popped in - I think I looked at the ole' Non-Iconics thread right before I typed that...

As for YB!, it wasn't created until... jeez, months after the establishment of the IC Forum.
I'd guesstimate about Nov or Dec of 2001.

 

[GnomeWorks]

this makes me wonder: am I the oldest surviving participant in the In-Character Forum left?

That possibility does exist, I suppose. Jarval is still around, and iirc he was in the Iconics game... I don't know if any of the others are still around, though.

I remember 'fighting' for the creation of the Forum, with the Iconic Adventure being the main 'draw'. Of course, the Iconics were doing their thing for probably 6 months before, in General Discussion.

That I don't remember.

I remember strongly asking for the You Bastard stuff to get their own forum (they were drowning the few games that were being played IC).

I remember reading the aftermath of that... at least, a few comments pertaining to "thank the mods that the YBers finally have their own forum".

I wonder how many participants there are now in here?

Far more than we could ever count.

I wonder how many know of the genesis of this Gaming corner?

Um... well, I don't. So that's saying something, I suppose...

I wonder how many are aware of the Iconic Adventure, spectacularly helmed by Piratecat himself?

Yep. And the two times that I tried to run it.

 

[GnomeWorks]

oops, sorry Sollir

(just kidding).

Sorry Gnomeworks - I don't know how Sollir's name popped in - I think I looked at the ole' Non-Iconics thread right before I typed that...

No prob, no prob. Stuff happens.

As for YB!, it wasn't created until... jeez, months after the establishment of the IC Forum.
I'd guesstimate about Nov or Dec of 2001.

Hmm... so that was around the time I showed up. I can't believe it generated that many threads in so short a time... there had to be 20 or 30 before the move that were still in the IC forum.

 

[doghead]

I wonder how many are aware of the Iconic Adventure, spectacularly helmed by Piratecat himself?

What is the origin of the Iconics. I've been curious about that.

 

[garyh]

BTW, any mods reading this - this seemed like the place to put a question like this. If there is a more appropriate forum, feel free to move the thread!

Generally, threads about the boards go into Meta, but since this is a historical question about this forum (or set of forums) in particular, and all the people who might have a clue are here, I think this is the right place for it. If the discussion slows down here, I might slide it over to Meta for a fresh look, since the other Mods who took care of the forum before Creamsteak and I took over are more likely to see this there..

As for the question at hand, I don't know for sure. I only came to the boards in July '02, and didn't start playing PbP games until September '02.

I can throw out that the "In Character" forum was split into "Playing the Game" and "Talking the Talk" around February '03.

 

[reapersaurus]

What is the origin of the Iconics. I've been curious about that.

Well, as one of the resident historians of IC stuff on ENBoards, I'll take a step at it, unless someone more qualified wants to add in.

I think sometime in 2000-ish (late), some people created alt-identities representing the Iconic characters in the PHB.
I don't know the inspiration (maybe Piratecat would know), but the first I saw/remember were Mialee, Lidda, Regdar, Ialdabode, Jozan, etc.
They would post as a quasi-fictional character, about things like Rangers being Shafted, WotC's practices, etc.

Soon Piratecat (I think) ran them thru a 'meatgrinder module of epic proportions' : Orc With a Pie.

This was all in General Discussion, and the spoof on adventuring was quite funny. In fact, I wonder if it inspired The Gamers movie.
The creators of D&D would post occasionally about The Iconics, and unless I'm mistaken, some of the character aspects the Iconics created were used in the D&D novels (tho I haven't read any books, I saw on Wizard's web page that Jozan has a crush on Alhandra).

I don't remember exactly whether Piratecat volunteered to run the collected Iconics thru NeMoran's Vault before, or after, the IC Forum was created. I think it was after the IC FOrum was up. Many Iconics joined the group then (Krusk, Devis, Tordek, etc) and Pcat actually ran the adventure with 14 Iconics at its height.

All this time, the Iconics would add their 2 cents in to General Discussion threads (mostly), especially in regards to WotC matters and marketing. Since the demise of the Iconic Adventure, most of them don't post anymore, and I know a few old schoolers were from (and might still be on) Nutkinland.

Anyway, that's how I remember it.