Who got you into Dueling?

Everything else, including the kitchen sink.

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Napoleon Bonarat
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Post by Napoleon Bonarat »

OK! Now that I'm home from work, I can tell more of the story. I bought my first computer, but it had Prodigy on it. While I actually was able to get a job via a person I met on Prodigy (and back then, this was really weird as we all weren't so socially connected), I found the interface clunky and not very intuitive. My brother had AOL and I liked the GUI, so I got myself a disc, created my first screen name (LeesaLogic) then my second (MorganFay).

With Morgan I was browsing the member directory for other Arthurian type people and found Percival. I sent him a "hey! I like Arthuriana too! How's it going?" email And he replied IC about how I was a sorceress and he was chaste and could not be distracted from his quest. At the time though, I had no idea what roleplaying was other than that D&D devil worship game. But I played into his Percival persona since I REALLY LIKE ARTHURIANA. We started talking in IMs (he was more roleplaying and I was more Leesa) and he said he liked to play this game and I should come play too. Back then you could also query on a member's name to find out if they were in a chat room, so I followed. At that time, Duel of Swords/Fists/Magic had been separated out of the RDI, but were still in People Connection, and the rooms only held 24 people. Also, it cost like $4 an hour to use the service. Back then, punting was serious times. It could take forever to get back in the room, if you could get past the busy signals from overwhelmed modem lines.

When I got in the room it was full of Drizzts and kenders and elves and LOTR characters and vampires and werewolves and damsels in distress and swashbuckling gents. I don't even read fantasy novels really, but after a few hours in the RDI-style rooms, I already knew the whole LOTR story as well as some of those other classics. Today, we have a lot more diversity in genre, and a lot of genre bending, which I think makes for some really creative, exciting story telling. So it's been a cool evolution of free form creativity.

So Percival was my gateway. Kalamere (DOS) and Jake (DOF) are my two oldest and enduring friends (I married the orc!), with Merewynne, SlothShamn, and Lilly being the next most enduring/adored friends.

Siera Redwin, MadMadMax, and Marx are my roleplay idols. Amal's Bed Time stories was my favorite thing I've read in the FFGF and since. My favorite folder overall though was Random Thoughts, which is what Thoughts At Large is today. Also meeting many of the players offline has been one of the most rewarding and fun experiences ever. Some were invited to my wedding (Simini was a bridesmaid!), and I've been invited to theirs. I'd not trade those moments for anything.

Good thread. Thanks for starting it.
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PrlUnicorn
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Post by PrlUnicorn »

I knew about the Duels before this, but hadn't really tried them out past being an observer. I was in training to host the main RDI room. One day, a note arrived from RDI Helix asking if anyone was interested in helping with duels as a queuekeeper. I was first in line.

PrlUnicorn 0: 1: 0 02/13/97
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Arthour
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Post by Arthour »

Napoleon Bonarat wrote:OK! Now that I'm home from work, I can tell more of the story. I bought my first computer, but it had Prodigy on it. While I actually was able to get a job via a person I met on Prodigy (and back then, this was really weird as we all weren't so socially connected), I found the interface clunky and not very intuitive. My brother had AOL and I liked the GUI, so I got myself a disc, created my first screen name (LeesaLogic) then my second (MorganFay).
then my second (MorganFay).
= Mind Blown.
Family's where the heart is.

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Representative of Bristle Crios.
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MurOllavan
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Post by MurOllavan »

I found DoM in early 96 searching AOL for 'Magic the Gathering' which I had been playing at the time since Alpha/Beta which they sold at the K-Mart. I still remember people playing the ante rules with power nine cards. I remember the first year as it was my first job, and I had to take time off for their Road To Mage events.
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~Mur
((or Sean, as the thread may be))
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Dirk Random
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Post by Dirk Random »

I used to be around the RDI a lot way back when, and this wacky guy named RDI Marv was all "Hey, come check out this new sword-dueling thing we're trying" and I was all "Okay." Then we went in the basement and played an RDI minigame, much like you might do in a Final Fantasy game: it was totally optional, but added an additional layer to the usual RDI roleplay.

First appearance as Dirk in the standings was 04/05/93.

DoS Standings 19930405

Dirk wasn't my first character, but it's the only one I'll own up to at the moment, because I'm already in the running for the Seniorest Citizen Award.
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JewellRavenlock
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Post by JewellRavenlock »

I role played on AOL since circa 1998 mostly in the Red Dragon Inn. I actually discovered role playing through a Sailor Moon chatroom.

I played on and off on AOL pretty consistently through middle school, high school, and college. I took a break somewhere in there and came back about a year before Dragon's Mark went live. When it did, I gladly moved from AOL to the web and was a Host on DM.

In 2006, there was an initiative to help RoH out. The duels were hosted in the RDI for the first time in years, and as a Host, I was asked to duel (for the first time ever) to help get people interested. I tried but it didn't really take immediately.

Soon though I was playing with Skyler's player a lot and Wyheree (my co-Host on DM) was suddenly playing on RoH a lot, so I inevitably got more involved through them. I joined a TDL team, which I really enjoyed. Eventually, I started splitting my time between the two sites. A lot of people offered to help me duel better then (and now), but I was happy enough to bob along at the bottom and just play with everyone. I liked the new spin dueling gave to my RP in general.

And now here I am. I keep logs of all my RP time, and the majority of it is now spent in dueling rooms. Funny how things change.
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Post by Amaltea »

12/03/93 Commoner Amaltea 1 : 2 : 0

I used to play in the RDI and I can't remember who mentioned the duels to me. It's been that long. If I'm not mistaken Kairee talked to me about the duels and so I went to take a look and liked it. Back then there were dueling schools so I joined Xeno's. He taught me how to duel and by May of 94 I was a Warlord. The rest is history. :)
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Xavior Mues
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Post by Xavior Mues »

Short version. I stumbled across the duels 98/99ish during the AOL days. I was in my late teens so it gave me a means of annoying people at first, but I later came to enjoy the strategies allowed by the matrix. Now, it's that S&M cycle that keeps bringing me back. When I grow bored with torturing others I return here to be tortured :-)
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Xavior Mues
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Post by Xavior Mues »

Methous45 2: 3: 0 9/18/98.

Jinga'lang jinga'lang. Talk about a trip down memory lane.
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