The Tale of the Returning Talking Cat
EarthBound.Net. Starmen.Net. They will always be one and the same in my mind. Why? Three years ago, I was a staffer on EarthBound.Net. I disappeared somewhat mysteriously half a year later, right after the changeover to Starmen.Net. This is my story.
I first got into EarthBound at the tender age of 13, when I discovered the colossal game box in my local Blockbuster. I knew it was an RPG the instant I spotted the box, and was pleased because I had really begun to be interested in that genre around that time. Intrigued, I rented the game and started to play. To make a long story short, it's been six years since that fateful day, and I have never grown tired of the game I always fondly think of as one of the great classics.
It was back in 1998, I believe, when I bumped into reidman through his now-extinct site, "You Are Now EarthBound." It was through his site that I found EarthBound.Net. Back then it was just starting to really take off, thanks to some very generous donations from our good friend Giovanni. I happened across the chat section, and popped into #earthbound, which was then still on Undernet. One thing led to another, and I soon found myself opped, with a place on the EarthBound.Net staff list and a job in the chat section. I never imagined to get a position on such a prestigious site. reidman would call it being in the right place at the right time. I would call it fate.
After six wonderful months on staff, real life decided to give me a reality check. Before I knew it, I had left Starmen.Net, and had devoted myself entirely to my studies. For three years I admit that I thought about EarthBound and the online community very little, for I was concerned with doing well in school and eventually getting into a good university. Even during the summer I was working full-time, with little time for any gaming or Internet. Until this summer.
A week ago, I picked up my EarthBound cartridge, placed it in my dust-covered Super Nintendo, and heard a satisfying click as I pushed the game into its slot. I turned the system on, and began to play. As I wound my way through the game, my mind floated back to the online community and Starmen.Net. What had happened to the site? I went to visit it out of curiosity, really. But as always, one thing led to another, and I yet again found myself posting on the boards, and joning #earthbound at diospadre's and guruzeth's invitation.
So here I stand, in quite the same position in which I found myself those three years ago. I don't think I ever consciously decided to become a part of the community. In fact, I believe it was fate that led me blindly in order for me to wind up here. This community has changed me in so many ways, I definitely do not regret initially finding it, or returning to it so suddenly. I must say that I now realize how much I missed the community, and how glad I am to have returned, though I know that much has changed. Fate or not, it's good to be home.
EarthBound.Net. Starmen.Net. They will always be one and the same in my mind. Why? Three years ago, I was a staffer on EarthBound.Net. I disappeared somewhat mysteriously half a year later, right after the changeover to Starmen.Net. This is my story.
I first got into EarthBound at the tender age of 13, when I discovered the colossal game box in my local Blockbuster. I knew it was an RPG the instant I spotted the box, and was pleased because I had really begun to be interested in that genre around that time. Intrigued, I rented the game and started to play. To make a long story short, it's been six years since that fateful day, and I have never grown tired of the game I always fondly think of as one of the great classics.
It was back in 1998, I believe, when I bumped into reidman through his now-extinct site, "You Are Now EarthBound." It was through his site that I found EarthBound.Net. Back then it was just starting to really take off, thanks to some very generous donations from our good friend Giovanni. I happened across the chat section, and popped into #earthbound, which was then still on Undernet. One thing led to another, and I soon found myself opped, with a place on the EarthBound.Net staff list and a job in the chat section. I never imagined to get a position on such a prestigious site. reidman would call it being in the right place at the right time. I would call it fate.
After six wonderful months on staff, real life decided to give me a reality check. Before I knew it, I had left Starmen.Net, and had devoted myself entirely to my studies. For three years I admit that I thought about EarthBound and the online community very little, for I was concerned with doing well in school and eventually getting into a good university. Even during the summer I was working full-time, with little time for any gaming or Internet. Until this summer.
A week ago, I picked up my EarthBound cartridge, placed it in my dust-covered Super Nintendo, and heard a satisfying click as I pushed the game into its slot. I turned the system on, and began to play. As I wound my way through the game, my mind floated back to the online community and Starmen.Net. What had happened to the site? I went to visit it out of curiosity, really. But as always, one thing led to another, and I yet again found myself posting on the boards, and joning #earthbound at diospadre's and guruzeth's invitation.
So here I stand, in quite the same position in which I found myself those three years ago. I don't think I ever consciously decided to become a part of the community. In fact, I believe it was fate that led me blindly in order for me to wind up here. This community has changed me in so many ways, I definitely do not regret initially finding it, or returning to it so suddenly. I must say that I now realize how much I missed the community, and how glad I am to have returned, though I know that much has changed. Fate or not, it's good to be home.
