The GameGo "invasion" in retrospect

For some reason, I was reading the "how did you first come to TNL" post and started thinking about how many people came here from the GG board and how I felt about it at the time. I know that most people here probably don't know me very well (if at all) and I doubt too many people place much importance on what I think, but here's some of my thoughts. I'll try to keep from boring anyone that actually wants to read this crap.

I was here before the big GG invasion, when the boards were two very separate entities. I must confess that I only visited the GG boards once prior to the invasion, and didn't really think one way or another about it. I just chose to stick around here because everything moved at a more leisurely pace and I knew where everything was. Maybe I made a mistake in not at least trying to meet new people, but I'm not a social butterfly (even online) and tend to keep to myself. Well, what's been has been and there's no sense in regretting it.

Enter the GameGo people. I didn't know what to think with such a huge influx of people, but I was afraid that this place would basically change 100% from the way it was. Kinda like the community I was used to was going to be uprooted and replaced with an unfamiliar one. But I decided to wait and see what would happen.

I can't say that I was overly pleased with my first few experiences. I'm not going to name names, but a few early interactions between me and some GG people really rubbed me the wrong way, which reinforced my previously-mentioned fears. Rather funny in retrospect that I've outlasted most of those people on the board.

Some of you might or might not remember that post that I made saying I was leaving the board. I meant what I said at the time, but I didn't follow through because I posted it while depressed (and a bit drunk) and was ashamed that I posted it the following morning (which happens more than I care to admit, actually). There were many things going on in my life, mostly changes for the worse, and I just ended up lashing out at people out of frustration, like a wounded mouse snapping at a human. I know that I turned loose on Bahn and several other users at least once, which I regret. I'm naturally abrasive, which I don't apologize for, but I do wish to apologize to the people that I out-and-out attacked without reason or provocation. I guess my reputation as an asshole wasn't entirely undeserved.

Moving on to today, time has passed and I've grown accustomed to the new order here, and actually began to like it. I first consciously thought about it last night and realized that although I percieved the GG immigration as a curse at first, it's actually been a blessing. If it had never happened, things would certainly be less interesting around here, and I would never have met a lot of nice, funny, and cool people. Sure, there are still a handful of people that I can't stand, but I have no reason to complain since there are surely people on the board that can't stand me. I don't want to sound like I'm turning this into a big love-love schmaltzfest, but I can say that I'm proud to be a part, however small, of this community. If nothing else, it's been entertaining and enriching, which is more than what I can say for most forums I've been on.

Amazing how sometimes how things that seem unpleasant at first can reveal themselves as blessings in disguise...

Thus ends this self-indulgent rant that no one but me cares about... :P :P :P

Come on, name names, you know you want to.

This thread is about 16 months too late.

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Originally posted by CynicalSphere
Amazing how sometimes how things that seem unpleasant at first can reveal themselves as blessings in disguise...

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Kinda like a bear trap, eh? In order to release an animal (or idiot human who didn't see the damned thing) from a bear trap, you have to push their foot further into the trap in order to trigger the switch to set them free.

At first it's a bit painful and undesireable, but it's for their own good in the long run. :D

I enjoyed reading your post. :p

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Originally posted by sleeveboy
This thread is about 16 months too late.

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Maybe it took him 16 months to see the shiny white light?

Ah yes, I remember some of those early interactions you had, hell, your original demeaner was one of the reasons I decide to lurk for awhile instead of just acting like this was GG part two. In all honesty, I've enjoyed this forum and website much more than the old GameGo boards and am glad I for the hospitality thats been shown by the "charter members" here. But, I can understand how a person might feel when a flood of people show up and change the dynamics of a board that was comfortable to him. At least it wasn't the Gamefaqs populace showing up on your doorstep.

You have mellowed out a lot, and your posts don't seem nearly as cranky as before. Writing a topic/post like the one you did takes a lot of guts. I'm glad you took the time to write it.

Have a cookie:D

I agree - I like TNL much much much better than GameGo ever was. Granted, GameGo was nice then but I think maybe some of that would have rubbed me the wrong was now. I hate sounding sappy too, but I am glad to have made good friends (so to speak) with Cynical after having come from GG. At least I see him as a comrade, reguardless of whether or not he does :P

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Originally posted by sleeveboy
This thread is about 16 months too late.

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Better late than never, eh? :P

I don't make any apologies for making the post, but it did take me a long time to realize these things. Perhaps if I had realized them sooner a lot of headaches for all could have been averted, but better to have an epiphany late than not at all. I don't expect anyone to like me or forgive my shitty behavior because of this post, but I spoke my peace for whatever it's worth, and the readers can make of it what they will.

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Originally posted by Superstition
....At least it wasn't the Gamefaqs populace showing up on your doorstep.

You have mellowed out a lot, and your posts don't seem nearly as cranky as before. Writing a topic/post like the one you did takes a lot of guts. I'm glad you took the time to write it.

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Heheh, if Gamefaqs showed up at my doorstep I would just move on without a word. In all honesty I do have an account at Gamefaqs but I don't actively use it. I just use it to look at things that my roommate directs my attention to, which are mainly stupid posts.

I've been trying to be more affable on the board, although I'm a bit less successful at some times than others, heheh. The original post in this thread is a lot more indicative of how I really am (without joking around) than most of the posts that tend to piss people off, although I do tend to speak before thinking at times which is what leads to most of my more inflammatory posts. But anyway, thanks.

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Originally posted by Tracer
I hate sounding sappy too, but I am glad to have made good friends (so to speak) with Cynical after having come from GG. At least I see him as a comrade, reguardless of whether or not he does :P[/i]

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Heheh, thanks, that means a lot to me. The feeling is mutual.

I remember filing in here one day after gg closed...

TNL if i remember only had 258 members. By the end of the third day it had 600+ members.

It was quite the mind fuck. It did seem like we were crashing a party, and honestly that didn't sit well with me after a few days.
We did come in and act like we owned the place.

I'm sure Bahn had like a mental breakdown when he relized how many of us would wind up coming, considering the boards kept crashing.

I remember particurally rhydant and I going nose to nose every day for about a month.


Good post though man, its good to get that shit off your chest, though a bit late.

When I initially came to TNL, I didn't feel like I belonged. At Gamego!, it was like a rookie joining a 10 time championship team. Everyone seemed to know each other, and I spent more time reading than actually posting. I attribute that mostly to the fact that I had forgotten about Gamego, and rediscovered it after through link from the Gamer's Republic forum. Naturally, once we all came here, the same relationships continued, and I felt like an outsider looking in. If all our original posts from before the first crash were still here, you could see that I barely posted, and even when I did, I was still holding back, as I didn't want to say anything that would get me ostracized. It took me awhile, but I just said fuck it, and decided to just be as honest as possible and post whatever was on my mind, regardless of how I would be treated. Seeing as how I'm still here, I think I made the right decision.