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BIRTHDAY CHAT

THIS SATURDAY(ENDED)

I remember my joy and excitement when I ran across The First Greek Civilization 2 Site. I had been frustrated and a little bored because the Old Addicted Site had shut down their forums for "upgrading". I was truly addicted to Civ Forums, and I needed my fix! There were many Sites that had the great content, but I needed to TALK to other Civ players... strategy, tactics, bugs, records and other Civ topics, but also, religion, politics and other general topics.

In the early days, TFGC2S was different than we see now. There were a few hard cores, and responses to posts were measured in hours and days. As my time on the site increased, more and more of the old gang started to show up, and the boards livened up considerably.

But then came July of 1998. My world changed. I went to access the TFGC2S, and to my shock, things had changed... BIG TIME! Apolyton had been born. At first, I didn't know what to think. I was concerned that the site I was used to was gone! NOT AGAIN, I thought! But then, I put my concerns aside, and looked at the bright side... more people, and more content.

The content on the new site grew, and grew, and grew! And so did the number of posters to the forums. There were still many Civ related issues that hadn't get been discussed to death, and the general forum had turned into a hotbed of political and religious debates. Things were really wild and exciting. You could post a comment, and responses would be flying in a manner of minutes. Heated arguments, mixed with good old Civ discussions, answered all my addictions! It was a great time for Civ.

Then, the next big change game... The OTF was formed. Instead of having the general forums for the different games being used for non-game related discussions, a new forum was created to provide the "right" environment for just those types of threads. It was a real shock at first as the different game crowds were thrown together against their will. Revolution was in the air! As usual, people didn't take to the change very well. But it was a good thing. It was a chance for me to meet a whole new cast of "characters". The combined mass also led to a hotter environment, quicker responses, more arguments, MORE ACTION! It was a great time for Apolyton.

As the number of posters grew, things began to change in the OTF. Discussions were getting a little too heated! Flaming was becoming too regular. Threads on subjects deemed inappropriate for a gaming site by the owners were being started far too often. Hate threads were started. People were starting to spam more and more. Things were getting out of hand. This unfortunately led to the next big change.

I was in a complete state of shock when MarkG and DanQ contacted me that fateful day in the summer of 1999. They wanted my help... they actually wanted me to become the moderator of the OTF. I agreed with them that something needed to be done... but me? Well, I always wanted to contribute to the site that meant so much to me... and since I wasn't tech savvy, I agreed. My days as a normal poster ended! As can be expected, the OTF didn't take well to this idea of moderation! But again, the heat of the discussions was exciting and invigorating.

It's been over a year since that day, and things have fallen back into a "normal" pace. (Well, as normal as the OTF gets) There have been many different revolutions... vacations... statements made... Black Sunday... and other exciting events. While some of these events haven't been looked at too favorably by the admin... they still prove the vitality and general sense of community that Apolyton has developed with its posters. We've had many Picture Contests... Trivia Challenges... Sports Challenges/fantasy sports... Polls on every subject possible... Even a Voice guessing game... and our very own Coffee Shop! Things are always exciting, and it is still a great time at Apolyton.

It will be interesting to see what the next few years will bring to the Forums at Apolyton. Activity on the OTF has increased as people wait for something new in the gaming arena. However, there are plenty of new games on the horizon. So I see the other forums activity increasing as we find new gaming subjects to discuss. But I also see the OTF activity increasing too. It now has a life of it's own. There will always be a need for a place where we can discuss non game related issues... talk with people that share a common interest, kick off our shoes and relax, and feel like we are members of a community. And that community is spelled Apolyton.

Congratulation Apolyton, and thanks for providing me a home away from home! May you have many more anniversaries!