Ode To The Bethesda Forums
One dark and dreary day in September 2006 TrekToday reported on 3 new Star Trek games in development and things suddenly seemed a little brighter. As the release date for the first game, Encounters, neared I began keeping a closer eye on the message boards. By about a week from the official release date in October I was a full-blown lurker.
The day it came out I was unexpectedly kept very late at work minding the store for someone who dropped the ball. There was virtually nothing to do so I finally signed up and gave voice to my eager anticipation. That night I got off work just in time to make it to the mall to find out no one had it yet.
I went home to find out what the deal was. On the message board I discovered some very happy Americans were enjoying the game but all the Canadians and many Americans as well were just as frustrated as I was. I soon organized and spearheaded the Canadian efforts to find the damned game. I eventually had to go to Seattle to get it for myself but I continued to assist, organize, and represent my Canadian brethren.
I passed the time poking my nose into flame wars and making snide comments in an effort to humourously point out how foolish they all were as well as getting into a few pitched arguments myself but never, strictly speaking, violating the rules.
Before long I was offered a Moderator position. I adopted Rmoore, Alexander, and Rogue Vulcan as role models for my new position. Rogue Vulcan for the calm, logical detachment, Alexander for the hammer, and Rmoore for the common sense, compassion, and compromise that put it all together. I became an expert in trolls, flames, and peacekeeping on the interweb.
I was an advocate for the downtrodden, tech support for those who sadly knew even less than I did, and the crusher of spam bots. In appreciation for my efforts I was given a copy of Legacy signed by William Shatner, a copy of Conquest, and a copy of Fallout 3 which I have yet to try.
I helped build and maintain a community.
I know there are enough so-called ‘communities’ on the internet to make you want to vomit but this was different.
And now it’s all ending.
We fought bad guys, solved problems, and even played a few multiplayer games of BOTF, a joy I had previously thought lost to the mists of time.
News of the board closing is probably the second worst body blow in the last 2 weeks of pummelling I’ve taken in what I’m slowly coming to think of as The Fortnight Of Sorrow. Ironically the board is one of the few places I would have felt comfortable discussing the other crap going on - somehow it was always easier to hear I was being an idiot from that group.
They will be missed.
