A gathering of friends : IV

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:56 am

This thread assumes these forums are closing. I thought it would have happened by now. I hope they never close, for a whole lot of reasons.

I really just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to everybody who I've known and interacted with here in the Oblivion General forum. And that this game has enriched my life, in fact it changed my life. But it wouldn't have been the same without you all.

Pseron Wyrd, glargg, Turija, Acadian, Shelly Mars, Holy Assassin, Lopov, Callidus Thorn, Decrepit. tmar, SubRosa, ghastley, mirocu, and gpster. Rohugh (who took care of my incessant forum warning when I changed from Renee Gade II to Renee Gade III ha ha), Lady-Mara, bobg. Erlendur, and Gritsy. tegeus-Cromis, FreeWitch, Ouija U, and Leydenne. Savilian. Son of Sithis, runlykhel, heathbar. PhonAntiPhon, flowerboom, Broder_Fisk, summer, Golden Sinner, Macole - Vampire Hunter, and mpls Big Daddy. dreamed1, Berret, monkeyoneeyes,

... sheesh, I could go on and on. :hugs: If I didn't mention you, don't feel bad. Just smack me a couple times over in the new forums!

To think that all of this (me getting way into a videogame at age 38) started as I was sitting around, bored one night back in 2008, seeing if there were any good new games on the PS3, reading about TES IV: Oblivion and then buying it within an hour after first reading its review. Discovering these forums in spring of 2009 (a period during which I was in therapy) and then realizing that THIS is the game for me, especially once I remembered what roleplaying is.

But it wouldn't have been the same without you all. So thanks.

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:56 am

I didn't know these forums were closing. I feel the same. I really do love this community.

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:30 pm

We never really interacted that much, but I always enjoyed reading your posts.

This is probably a crossroads of sorts - I simply cannot tolerate the Bethesda.net forum, and unless the new software they're promising is a vast improvement over what's there now, I won't be posting over there. And on top of that, Fallout 4 was a major disappointment for me, to the point where the direction Bethesda seems to be taking has me very worried about the future of TES as well. So I may be done with Bethesda games - we'll just have to see what TES 6 is like after it releases.

If this is a parting of the ways, I'll miss you and all of the folks you mentioned, plus many, many more in this community. Best wishes to you.

» Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:00 am

Man, it's hard for me to believe, but these forums have been my virtual home since 2002. Many of my friends from the old days of the first forum - the notoriously butt-ugly "green forum" - no longer post here but I have made a bunch of new friends (including the person who started this thread) over the course of the years. I've posted on other sites from time to time, but no other site has felt as much like home to me as this one.

Posting on this forum helped get me through a dark time in my life back in 2002-2003. It was an important lifeline for me at the time. I had come to feel that I had nothing to live for and posting here gave me a reason to stay alive, during several critical months during which anything might have happened. I pulled through with the help of some very wonderful people here and I will never forget them or the kindness they showed me. It is not exaggerating too strongly to say that I actually might not be here today if it weren't for this forum.

And of course I also met my lovely and talented and highly eccentric life partner, Brash, in the Morrowind Mods forum. Meeting her changed my life but good. I left my home in Atlanta and got on a plane to Portland Oregon in November 2003 with only a few clothes and books stuffed into a small carry-on bag. We are still together and I have been living here ever since. I seriously cannot overstate the effect these forums have had on my life.

It's amazing to think that I've written over 30,000 posts over the past fourteen years and four months. I almost can't remember a time when I wasn't posting on these forums. The effect of Bethesda and the games they make has had such a profound effect on my life in so many ways that I sometimes divide my life into "pre-Elder Scrolls" and "post-Elder Scrolls." And these forums have been a large part of that. You guys are great. You're like the family I never had.

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:04 pm

Wow that is touching. Glad you found that special person

:hugs:

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:42 pm

I guess I don't keep up with the announcements - the forum is closing? I've been playing Oblivion for a few years now as my default recreational activity. I guess I have played it enough by now (though I have still never done KotN or Shivering Isles, even though I have them both installed). I stop by here every couple of days and always chime in if there's a conversation that I can contribute to.

It's not very active here most of the time but I'll still miss having the place to drop in and see what people are up to.

» Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:50 am

There are times when sitting around thinking no one really cares one way or another if I'm here or not, something like this happens that makes me feel like I have added something of benifit to anothers life story. I am much honored for your recognition.

Maybe I'm not a modding wizard nor the most game play and lore knowledgeable or that the continuing character role I play is based upon some miniscule bit of lore from a Daggerfall book that garners little attention or that I prefer Morrowind's combat over all the other games but I've never felt pushed away or unwelcomed in this forum due to my dumb comments.

I too feel the same sentiments and will miss these pages when they finally go away. Perhaps the new site will prove itself favorably.

Dang, now you went and got me at more of a loss of words than I usually am.

Thank you Renee Gade III and all you others that I have met here.

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 4:12 pm

I have actually moved on to a "procedurally generated, survival/exploration sci-fi, outer space game". It's incredible! Imagine playing for 8 hours without any load screens. The inhabited planets are gorgeous and the alien critters are so cute, especially when you feed them. It's totally open-ended like Oblivion and most of the haters can't stand that part, but you know me. Here's a link for a site dedicated to loving admiration of the game:

http://explorenms.com/forum#category-1

I'm hitchhiker at that site. Hope to hear from all of you.

If not and they do close this site, then surely we'll all meet again, when we're like silver lining upon the clouds.

:wavey:

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:36 pm

In the rather short time I have been a part of these forums, I have very much appreciated the kind attitude that have been exhibited here (such an attitude that I hope I have exhibited well). These Bethesda forums are the only time I have ever felt compelled to join one and be active in it.

*SMACK* *SMACK*

Just kidding. I haven't really interacted that much with you save for a couple times, but I enjoyed reading your posts. Whenever we move over to the new forums, I hope to see you there. And the rest of you as well.

» Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:15 pm

Renee: You must have worked all weekend coming up with that list of names. There are a lot of fond memories stirred up just reading through it. It’s been fun here on this forum, and maybe Beth will see the light to come up with something that’ll work on the other side, but I’m not holding my breath. And thank you for putting in the time to come up with this thread. Be seeing ya.