I feel old.

[Ghost]

What is ISCA?

[Vettrock]

ISCA is the Iowa Student Computer Association. It used to run a bulleton board system.  Thrash the original server that the mud ran on was also at the U of Iowa from my understanding.

If you telnet to bbs.iscabbs.com, you can connect to isca, its still around I guess, but I don't have an account anymore.

[Lizzie]

I thought you were talking about the Society for Creative Anachronism. I guess I'm a geek.

[X-D]

But thats SCA...Dork.

Since I was a member for 7 years...wonder what that makes me...cringe.

I remember Thrash...bigger cringe.

(disclaimer)

All name calling in good fun.

[manonfire]

But thats SCA...Dork.

Since I was a member for 7 years...wonder what that makes me...cringe.

I remember Thrash...bigger cringe.

(disclaimer)

All name calling in good fun.

Ahaha, I was a member for a couple years. I participated in some large-scale battles, too. Great fun.

[X-D]

MIDDLE KINGDOM RULES!!!!


Um


em slinks away.

[LittleLostThief]

I started playing in 95 or 96.  I came into the game right after roleplaying was becoming more strictly enforced I think, from the days of running through Red Storm to kill everything in sight (I'm glad I missed that, actually).

I think my first character was a kank riding elf, but they probably didn't last an hour.  My first semi long lived character was a kleptomaniac, and that it where my GDB name comes from.  I say semi because they might have lived for two or three days of playing time, but then for me it was pretty amazing to get someone longer lived than a few hours.  Eventually they were killed because... well... they were a kleptomaniac.  They stole all the time, even when they didn't need to or didn't want the stuff they got.

I'm glad the staff was patient and kind with me.  My first year I think I burned through about 50 characters.  Sometimes it was hard to wrap my head around the fact that though I wanted to roleplay someone who was badass, that I actually wasn't at all. 

I find it hard to post on the GDB these days because I used to be pretty active on the old GDB, and I feel like I've heard every argument and discussion already.

Er... and I've played Amtgard for years.  It's fun, faster, and costs considerably less than having to buy plate mail for yourself.  Also I like having a rule system that is more encompassing than "did you feel like you were hit hard enough that if it was a real sword that it would have killed you".  Chances are if I'm hitting you that hard with shinai that you will wish you were dead.  I've still seen tons of nasty bruises, a few broken bones, and unconsciousness rendered from padded weapons, so you can have those duct taped, wood-cored beatsticks all to yourselves.  Although I don't play very actively anymore, I'm still a proud representative of the Wetlands, and once upon a time I was in Rogue Company for anyone that that means anything to.  If nothing else, I think ANY kind of LARPing is great for helping you become more descriptive while playing out fighting in Armageddon.  Now if I could just learn to sew or work stone or brew beer, I think I'd have made.

Edit:  Oh, and it's great to hear from people like Flying Erdlu!  I didn't think you even existed anymore.  I can't even remember all of the handles I used on ISCA, but I'm sure I used LittleLostThief and Spirit Blossom.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I joined at about the time of the Byn hey-day Rindan was talking about.
I remember Sujaal as a sergeant, too.
Heck, I remember Akasha as a runner... Pendeh too.
I remember killing a silt horror with the Byn while riding a silt skimmer.
I remember when New Tuluk cropped up, though I personally didn't play there much in its early days.
I remember the old GDB. Not the one we had a week ago, mind you... the even older one.
I'm old, but not that old. The Byn hey-day was, of course, awesome, but I've been having an enjoyable time recently, as well. Some of my recent hijinks rival and even surpass that wild shit we'd get into with Sujaal. All a matter of preferences, perhaps.

[Malken]

I remember stuffing my backpack with scooby snacks and living on them for weeks.

[Flying Erdlu]

Oh, and it's great to hear from people like Flying Erdlu!  I didn't think you even existed anymore.  I can't even remember all of the handles I used on ISCA, but I'm sure I used LittleLostThief and Spirit Blossom.

Oh, I'm still around even after four baby induced hiatus. Crackaggedon. Crackageddon. I don't post much here though. I'm a lurker.

[Krath]

I have been around since...I do not remember, fuck over ten years.

I remember:
The Doomsbringer
Thanos!
The Dark-elven Rogue
The Gold-beady eyed man
Thrain
When House Winrothol's Barrack was being built and walking anywhere in tuluk took MVS
BlackMoon
ALA!!!!!!!!
Mortal Slayer
When the Mud had a Max amount of PCs allowed in game
When Privates could incriminate

[wildhalfling]

I remember having the word ranger in my sdesc.
I remember the npc raiders along the north road...they were always fun.
I remember some human npc that patrolled the north road.
I remember Mal Krian and white cloaks with red stains
Seeing a mantis come into the tavern in Old Tuluk and try to kill me.
A ebony skinned man who seemed to never die.

[noclue]

A ebony skinned man who seemed to never die.

I think I remember that guy! Was he a big fellow. A merchant with a wagon? I worked for him once with my longest running character (not long by most standards) Knute the Axe. My first character lasted about 20 minutes. He got lost in a sandstorm outside Allanak, collapsed in exhaustion and lay there while the dehydration and hunger tickers ran out. Not sure which got him first the dehydration or the hunger. Then I had to wait 24 hours for my new character approval. Then of course came the weekend and servers went down for all us mere mortals....grrr. But I made sure I got back in as soon as the servers were up again.

And I remember those attacks on the North Road too!

I haven't played regularly in a few years, but starting to get the urge. Where can I find posts about the plans for Armageddon Reborn?

[Dalmeth]

I haven't played regularly in a few years, but starting to get the urge. Where can I find posts about the plans for Armageddon Reborn?

http://www.zalanthas.org/blogs/brideofson/

Enjoy.

[Hot_Dancer]

The old Kadius crew with mansa..

Playing in the Blackwing and the Blackmoon

When desert elves had 300+ stamina and fights/archery duels between desert elves roaming across battlefields from the Tablelands to Allanak, or other obscene distances.

The team up of Masha + Sujaal

Getting in trouble for using the Desert Rose table as our personal tribe storage.

Liberating Tuluk..

[Dan]

Being there when Sujaal gave Masha a scorpion in a cage. Hah.
When every warrior in the game carried two big warhammers.
When pouched belts -were- -the- -shit-.
When anakore claw gloves cost over 1000 sid.
Sujaal as a sergeant, and camp fires between Mal Krian and Allanak.
The first time I saw magick. A HG elkrozian on the north road by Tuluk.
When they added the turtle-code for various turtle-like beasts.
ALMOST killing Masha with Tial, and now I am really glad he was just too damn good with that bow.
Fighting Kryl onslaughts and taking a fallen Templar's gold sceptre, with my desert elf. Only to have dozens of kryl suddenly (and suspiciously) target me.
Having to enter Freil's Rest.
Gladiator PCs.
Meeting ten rebels at once when Allanak controlled the north, and being really scared of their "serrated warswords."
When there were 1-handed claymores.
Lots more I guess.

[Forest Junkie]

I started just after Desertman I believe. 2000 I believe.

I remember being able to juice up to somewhere near 400 mvs with d.elves if I had the right clothing.
I remember the first time I saw magick also. A certain HG-elkrosian helped me overcome poison.
I remember the Great War, or whatever it was called.
I remember being with the rebellion.
I remember watching an elven warrior outright kill a half-giant in the Sanctuary. This was Allanaki-controlled Tuluk, mind you, before there was any crim-code I suppose.
I remember wielding a powerful bronze sword.
I remember the first time I came into contact with terradin on my first ever desert elf ranger. Ouch.
I remember Masha from a few pc's actually. He nearly killed me on a number of occassions. And yes, his kung-fu was quite good with the bow.
I remember working for Ysania.
I remember, or seem to remember, Ysania actually riding into a square atop a flying creature before landing it. I could be totally dreaming this, but I can't help but think this happened.
I remember spiders, webs, and loot. 'nuff said.
I remember snatching a steel dagger.
Kinda old...though only been here seriously for around 6 years.

[Whiran Luck]

- Hearing a rumor about a Borsaili snorting an entire brick of spice at once.
- Shootin' the shit with Ysania.
- Having a Sabateur in the Rebellion. Coolest rank name ever.
- Half-giant shoulder rides from a Blackmoon half-giant.
- The first days Sujaal joined the Byn and womping his butt.
- The really old GDB, when it wasn't forums, but just a lot of descending threads.
- Selling really crappy jewelry to a red-robed Allanaki templar in Tuluk. And being thrilled to death they bought stuff from me, without quite realizing what Red Robes were.
- Playing in the Tuluki ruins before the Nakkis left Tuluk.
- The peaceful, quiet times before the Kadian Hawker was put in.
- The Sanctuary being an 'enterable' tavern.
- The balcony of the Bard's Barrel being the premier 'make-out' spot, before wide-spread apartments. And nearly always walking in on 'stuff' whenever I'd want to go sit out there.
- Lots of other stuff.

[X-D]

Heh.

I remember when you could get metal items and other types made for you by staff.

Eating the blue-eyed infant

When defiler ash piles were items

When Packs went in.

When mount rental went in.

When you could app your very first PC as a HG stone cleric, see skill percentages...bitch because said HG stone cleric only had 153 mana, wield while casting. And do many bad things with said HG stone cleric. Including ride a kank.

When you could walk from the fountain to a certain potion seller.

When mantis went in as a playable race then talking to one at the city gates.

Flints

Sanveans PCs (well...one)

The never ending desert where even if you walked north 100 times...south 5 would get you to the road.

Cringing when who showed 7 players because now it would take an hour to move 10 rooms.

Player limits

The old immortal ranks

Hhhmm...thats good for now.

[mansa]

When stun got entered into the game and everybody screamed Magicker when the first person fell unconscious due to the way.

When subclasses got entered into the game and Bards got Instrument Making.

When you could buy Ratlons in Mal Krian, but nothing else.

City Rooms that didn't map to a grid.

[Elgiva]

Heh, I don't feel that old.

But I remember mantis inside Tuluki Walls...

... during the mantis invasion, you know.

[My 2 sids]

Heh.

Eating the blue-eyed infant

Hhhmm...thats good for now.

Oh I had forgotten about that one!!!  hahahahahahahahahaha

I remember going through THREE long-term PCs and _still_ Mansa had his same dang PC

[Clegane]

1994 for me. I remember playing on a monochromatic laptop that weighed about 27 pounds.  I felt so special when I finally got to play Arm on a 9600 baud modem.

I remember killing Jindo and then crying because the coins in his inventory were too heavy to pick up.

I remember my first defiler spamming spells for skillups in the Kuraci wagon.

I remember that the first thing Arendor did when the game rebooted every week was order a Guild Whiran to HoW a pair of npc guards from some airborne room that probably shouldn't have been linked to the game world at all. Then Rals and about ten guilders would gangbang them, loot the plate mail and steel broadswords from the corpses, and sell them to the Salarri npc for sid.

I remember when you couldn't take a piss in the corner without accidentally urinating on Sunjar's boots while he was stealthed. Jesus, that dude somehow managed to be EVERYWHERE.

I remember when Azroen would give skill and stat boosts in exchange for signing him up for the Beer of the Month club.

I remember getting blind drunk with Buzz and Geno at the Iowa APM and then trying to suffer through Nessalin's favorite Indian eatery with the most titanic hangover in history.

And the Denny's that served screwdrivers for breakfast at the Baltimore APM. Oh, and cramming four guys into my battered Pontiac for that same APM and driving 23 hours, subsisting on nothing but White Castle sliders for most of the trip. I don't think I nor LoD will ever forget the smell in that back seat.  Or the smell of Pennsylvania for that matter.

But mostly I just remember what it was like to be young and stupid and totally awash in the wonder and mystery that was Armageddon in the mid 90's. The game gradually came to lose its luster for me as the years went by and the mystique slowly faded, but nothing will ever wipe away the years and years of incredible memories I had with this world and the people that populated it with their imaginations. I haven't actually played in over two years now, but I wanted to say thanks to all of you who made my 10+ years in Zalanthas so amazing. The game was an integral part of my life for a very long time and I'm a better and more complex person for having dedicated so much time to it.

[Dusky]

Besides all the shit that I remember (we've all written these posts before) - anyone remember the shady tavern outside of the 'rinth?  It was about the same time Flint's was open up North.  The <something> dagger.  That was a cool joint.  I miss it.  It was like the Gaj but a lot more subtle.  It felt more dangerous being out of the way.

For the record - like some of you I remember when you logged in and your inventory would be in your hands and not in your pack.
When halflings could join Salarr (and commonly hung out in the cities).
When joining the magicker's temples in 'nak was a choice.
When you could not go alone from Tuluk to Luir's.  Ever.
I remember the bad-ass Vas (maybe Vis?)  and the bad-ass Sloop the half-giant.  Awesome roleplay.
The former was a major character at the time - the other, I don't know.

[My 2 sids]

Anyone else remember the kind-of-sort-of-almost death of Pearl?

There were maybe twenty or so PCs in the Barrel then suddenly some twink pops in, back-stabs, hides, backstabs again, hides, backstabs, etc.

Suddenly, PCs were openly crying and cursing and writting the the rumor bord and everything.   I seem to recall there was even a formal train of PCs who carried the body clear to the Borsal doors (crying and carrying on all the way).

An IMM stopped us all at the doors and was like "um... we've decided to resurect her, so none of this happened"   

Of corse it was the right thing to do, sometimes going against 'rules' of perma-death IS the fairest choice, but woo did it spon massive talk on the GDB and IRC.