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The community turns 20 years old this year

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Cooljerk, Jan 3, 2017.

  1. JaxTH

    JaxTH

    Pudding Deity Oldbie
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    Jack shit.
    I believe David was around during those days. ScarredSun too, I believe.
     
  2. Adamis

    Adamis

    Gimme waffles! Oldbie
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    Lammy and "Fafnir"
    I think I've been around the community in 2000, 2001, when I discovered lots of Sonic stuff on the internet. I remember printing articles about the betas, especially Sonic 2, from various websites, including Iceknight's :P
     
  3. Blue Blood

    Blue Blood

    Member
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    I've been around since 2003. That's 14 years (over half of my life) that I've been in this community. And it really saddens me to say that in that time I've barely spoken to anyone directly and haven't formed any real, long lasting connections. Wow. Fuck that. I need to put myself out there some more.
     
  4. Kat

    Kat

    Oldbie
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    Has it been that long? I guess it has. Well, damn. Way more than half my life spent on SoStH/A51/SWS2B/CulT/Retro. Happy anniversary, guys!
     
  5. Sui Eel

    Sui Eel

    captan Member
    I hardly post because I don't really know what to add to most discussions, but I've always passed around the fan projects to friends who might be interested, as well as lurk around weekly. Hoping one of these days to actually pick up one of my own projects.

    I'm impressed this place has stuck around for so long. Maybe it will stick around long enough for me to actually contribute.

    Congrats.
     
  6. Tarheeltim

    Tarheeltim

    Member
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    After lurking for an indeterminate time I joined in 2007 as a dumb 11 year old. I think it was as the forum split thing happened that I joined, because I remember being confused when my posts would appear on one domain but not the other. A few days earlier I had made an account with some inane James Bond basis that I lost the password to/was lost in forum DB stuff. I've also said a lot of things that upon further reflection were not advisable, but that's life I guess.

    The year is 2017 and I am now a dumb adult of 21. The friends I've known the longest are probably from this community, whether that be IRC or forums of varying popularity. I've even flown cross-country to visit with someone who still goes here, so that's something.

    That's my bit. Unless something major happens, I suspect I will still be around here in 2027.
     
  7. Shakidna

    Shakidna

    Rehash Rampage Member
    Is this where we submit documentation proving we've been in the community since before 2003 as per rule 15?
     
  8. Watch out, lurking former pending approval coming by (As a nice gesture I got some more trial posts when I ran out, years ago). Got internet fairly late, around 2002. Been lurking in the Sonicscene since 2004. That's when I, for the first time ever, found any information about the mythical 'Sonic Crackers'-game on the old SonicCult-site (where I also learned of the Sonic Chaotix-hoax, co-created by I believe KojiChao), from which it was not a really big step to the Simon Wai's S2 Beta Page. And that's when my brain went nuts. Fully designed zones, scrapped? Whaa? I read about everything, from the the chaos surrounding some Sonic Xtreme-build auction that went nuts. And so, I stayed here (never went to SSRG, to be honest) and witness the, for me, big moments unravel.

    I was here when Cinossu first announced his hack 'Sonic The Hedgehog: Extended Edition', back in '06. Still waiting, indeed. I was here when Sonic Megamix was cancelled. Again. And again. And then it was 'NEVER CANCELLED'. Until it was cancelled. Again. I was here in '08, when the biggest romdumping-hero drx announced and posted about his legendary february 23rd-release; over one thousand beta's and prototypes. For me, this meant sitting behind the computer in the living room, in the middle of the night, just witnessing all the research going into Sonic 3C, Chaotix... I was stunned. And so I was here, when we found downsyndrome Sonic. Good grief.

    Sure, I wasn't there for all the big moments. And sure, I witnessed some drama throughout the years. Though, as an outsider (I can't code for shit, I can't design...), I simply stayed for the overall good vibes. For the educational factors. For the Hacking Contest. And I'm just here because I'm an honest, truthful fan of the art and works people from this community create, to show what they can come up with and to share their wisdom, their innovations, and their respects for the franchise, about that one, blue, hedgehog.

    Congrats on 20 years. Hackers, designers, writers, creators.
     
  9. Aerosol

    Aerosol

    Not here. Moderator
    11,163
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    Not where I want to be.
    Sonic (?): Coming summer of 2055...?
    I think so. I can't be arsed though.
     
  10. Cooljerk

    Cooljerk

    NotEqual Tech, Inc - VR & Game Dev Oldbie
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    Really isn't a singular date, it sort of moves. Area 51 "officially" opened in early 1998, but it was around in some incarnation in late 1997. SSRG itself started in very late 1996, but really didn't properly organize until early 1997. Stealth had been studying the Sonic engine since late 1996 at least.

    I remember 1998 is when everything really blew up, but 1997 is really when everything felt like it got organized and stopped being just a bunch of people communicating through email, and started being an actual scene.

    Me too, although I didn't know anybody else during those days. I used to post under my dad's accounts, which still persist to this day. I've actually gone back and read some old posts of mine from rec.games.video.sega and so forth which are completely embarrassing because I was posting at like 7 years old, lol.

    It wasn't until the Sonic community came together that I feel like I started actually recognizing people, instead of it being me posting towards a giant faceless internet.
     
  11. Ravenfreak

    Ravenfreak

    2 Edgy 4 U Tech Member
    3,077
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    O'Fallon Mo
    Sonic 1 Game Gear Disassembly
    I definitely haven't been around as long as lots of people here, but I do remember when I first discovered S2B. Back in 2006 I was working on a group project at school, and instead of doing research, I googled "Hidden palace zone" and discovered a video on Youtube that showcased Hidden Palace Zone. I hurried up and exited the video as the sound was on and someone said "Is someone playing Sonic?" xD At the time I had a really crappy internet connection, so I only was able to access the internet via school but I did join Glitch City, a Pokemon forum and I had an argument with someone over Hidden palace zone. Stupid me didn't know that it is in Sonic 2, I insisted that it was only in S3K but of course I was wrong. :v: Fast forward to 2008, when I get a laptop and a somewhat decent internet service. I decided to join here, and at that time I discovered hacks. I started playing various hacks, and of course the one hack that got me into hacking was Megamix. I still have the disc that I burned the game on and it still works just fine. Then I wanted to make my own so in 2009 I started hacking the 16-bit games. But then I got the urge to start messing with the 8-bit games, and well here we are now. xD I'm honestly glad I didn't join when I was younger. I was a huge noob on other message boards that if I acted like that here I probably would have never been approved at all. But part of me wishes that I was around back then to see how different things were.
     
  12. Mecha Sally

    Mecha Sally

    Oldbie
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    Damn... 20 years, huh? I remember being here back when the Sonic 2 Beta was leaked back in... 1999, I think? And then I got spooked away from forums by my parents... yay... But I came back so hey, no worries. :v:

    Happy Anniversary to this community, and thanks for all you guys have done!
     
  13. Jason

    Jason

    *Results not lab tested. Member
    Yeah, I have yet to meet a member of the community who wasn't a cool person. It's just frustrating that my experience is apparently not synonymous with the Internet at large's impression of us. Hopefully that's changing the more cool stuff we do collectively.
     
  14. Ritz

    Ritz

    Subhedgehog Member
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    Is that what happened to her? Does she still have a portfolio on the internet somewhere?

    I miss webrings and how we had to make our own creative outlets before catch-all sites like DeviantArt sucked all the culture out of it. I miss hoaxes and sprite comics. I mean, I never really made any, but that Photoshop piracy-enabled creative boom around the turn of the century introduced me to digital graphics and gave me a precocious head start on my career path. Every significant thing in my life leads back to Sonic, unfortunately!
     
  15. I've been sort of lurking in the Sonic online community since I wanna say 2006 or so, because I swear I remember getting into some Sonic RP back then. I think it was when I got Secret Rings, Black Knight and Unwiished in 2009 or so (I can't remember exactly when I got those games, but I know Unwiished was packed with a Sonic Underground DVD) that I really got into the community, though. I'd played Sonic Adventure DX, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Sonic Heroes (DX and Heroes were pirated PC versions, alas, while I got a friend's copy of SA2:B) and Shadow the Hedgehog, as well as the Genesis trilogy and Sonic CD on Kega Fusion, by that point. I could have been lurking for far longer, possibly back to even 2004 or so, but I honestly have no idea; all the memories back then are super foggy if not outright long-gone.

    The only 15th anniversary title I've played is Sonic Riders on the PS2. Even back in 2006, I never touched Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, in spite of having a GBA at the time...guess I dodged a bullet, there. :p I still want to play '06 just to see how godawful it is (and because I kinda feel like it's a badge of honor to have survived such a wretched piece of gaming history), though...

    The most recent Sonic game I've played is Generations, which is probably what caused me to decide to leap back into the fandom; I'd never actually played HD Unleashed or Colors, so going from Unwiished to Generations on the 360 was mind-boggling at first.

    My first ever experience with a ROMhack was...I wanna say either Megamix or S-Factor were the first Sonic hacks I'd ever played. After that, I was hooked; I downloaded a ton of the hacks on the Retro Wiki and played them all...guess all that is what caused me to develop into who I am today, a 18-year old working on his own hack for a game that's been around since 1991. :p

    Heck, I guess Sonic hacks are what inspired me to even think about taking up game development as a passion...so I guess I have Retro to thank for making me the way I am, even if I've been really silent on the forums. :p
     
  16. JaxTH

    JaxTH

    Pudding Deity Oldbie
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    Jack shit.
    It won't.
     
  17. Jason

    Jason

    *Results not lab tested. Member
    This is supposed to be a franchise and fandom where Dreams Come True :specialed:.

    + - featuring Akon  
     
  18. Billy

    Billy

    RIP Oderus Urungus Member
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    Indie games
    I've been here damn near 12 years now. How time flies! Also, don't read my earliest posts. So many memories of this place, both good and bad: Simon, Vangar's "Comic Too Beta", cactus and basketballs, gallery of dumbasses, Molotok vs Knux13 debates, Michael Jackson revelations, Nick Arcade beta, DRX releasing a shit-load of prototypes, LocalH becoming owner, second cleanout, Retro Merger, Tweaker, Sonic 2 HD, Project: Sonic Retro. I've said it in the past, but I was absolutely enamored with this board back in the day. I could even keep up with all the new posts! Of course, the board was slower in those days, but I still had too much time on my hands and was probably wasting my life lol. I never did get super big into hacking, though I still have some ideas I'd love to create.

    Anyone else miss anyone? I wish voice would come around, he taught me some valuable PHP stuff back in the day, and now I work in software industry.

    Seconding this. Blue tag plz :P

    There was a thread where ScarredSun solemnly explained why he got banned, but I can't find it.


    One final note, we need a western US meetup.
     
  19. Turbohog

    Turbohog

    Member
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    I think I probably started lurking and posting on Sonic forums in 2003. My main stomping grounds were The Mystical Forest Zone, SFGHQ, and the successor of Sonic World. I apparently joined Retro in 2008, but for some reason I used a fake email to sign up. When I logged in again (probably years later), I noticed a message from a certain staff member, telling me they usually deleted accounts with fake emails. However, he knew me from other forums and spared my account. It's crazy how long so many of us have been part of this community.
     
  20. We have one. It's called Sonic Boom in San Diego. :v

    I'd love to have a meetup here in California, like in SF or something.