[DONE] New Member Application

[Alten]

Hi Everyone!

I'm called Alten here and am a long time video game nut. I turned 52 years old last Friday (July 17) and have been playing video games since the mid-70s when I had a Pong knock off I purchased from the electronics store I started working at when I was 17. It didn't quite replace my pinball craziness but since I didn't have a pinball machine at home but did have a Pong game hooked to a black and white TV, well, I became hooked. As the video games came out and showed up in the bars I quickly got hooked on Space Invaders and Tank, and then Pac Man. I'm located in the US in NY state.

I'm a total geek and nerd and have been since I was a kid playing with my HO slot car sets and building morse code oscillators. Ham Radio was in the house and I was interested but so many other fun things kept my attention. I got my first computer at home after I'd gotten an Atari 2600 but the computer, a TI-994A, quickly eclipsed the 2600 due to my desire to learn BASIC and so on. A C-64 soon followed and then a C-128. I gamed like a fiend on all of those and the 2600 really did collect dust. In between there I picked up a TRS-80 Model 1 and a Model 4. I eventually got a Model 100 and I STILL have it along with several others I've picked up, along with the extras, at flea markets. Oh, did I mention that I'm female?

I got my first modem, of my own, in early 1985 after borrowing a friend's off and on. I was in heaven. The BBS world took some time away from my gaming, especially after I started running my own BBS part time on the C-64 with a 1MB floppy drive along with the regular one. The BBS migrated to the Model 4, with two custom built 5MB hard drives, and although the BBS software for the Mod. 4 wouldn't run them, I got interested in BBS "door" games! Also at that time, late 80s, a NES came into my life and I fell in love with Mario!

Finally at the end of 1988 I got my own IBM '286 clone and began gaming on it. PC gaming was and is my main love but the NES did not collect too much dust. The BBS moved onto a 8088 real IBM PC XT I dug up and I joined FidoNet. By this time I'd been digging into the Internet for several years and was able to continue doing so due to my connections via various friends and groups I was involved in.

My PC gaming went itno overdrive as I fell in love with Sim City. The NES started collecting dust. At that point between the BBSing and "door" games and Sim City and whatever PC game of the moment, I was truly in gamer heaven. Oh, and in 1991 I finally took time off from everything BUT the BBS and got my Ham Radio license and pushed myself to upgrade, which I did. Now my free time, which at this time in my life became much more abundant, was divided between many things but gaming was right near the top.

The 90s are a blur of PC games. Among the many magazines I enjoyed PC Gamer became a must have and I even subscribed after getting tired of making sure I found it when I did my grocery shopping. I did take a break from gaming in late 1994 to learn about this thing called the World Wide Web, mainly via Boardwatch mag and friends, and became one the first of my friends to dig in and get a browser set up to work on my '486 machine. Much ado about winsocks, etc. Then doing it all over again when I leaped into Windows 95.

I did pick up a Playstation in the late 90s but it never did get much love from me. Also at the end of the 90s I resisted the lure of EverCrack even though my best gal pal was into it up to her eyeballs. I feared I'd not be able to control it! Then I moved to where the best I could get for 'net access was satellite up and down so online gaming became a non-issue for me. I PC gamed my heart out though and although I bought them, I hated every Sim City since Sim City 2000 but I did fall hard for The Sims. I also fell for Half Life. I'm not a huge FPS player, I prefer RPGs and RTS games along with sims. Half Life is an exception and I still play Half Life 2.

In early 2003 an Xbox made its way into my house and life and it was good, but PC gaming still ruled. My Xbox, however, did get a lot of lovin' from me via Splinter Cell, Halo and GTA mainly. The other titles were fun but if I can't remember them off the top of my old head I don't count them as favs.

Finally though I was back in the land of cable modems and EverQuest 2 came into my life after much urging by my friend. EQ2 still rules. I've been playing almost 4 years and am a RPer so I play on the AB server. I do wish I could find more gamers there my age although currently I'm really lucky that the guild I'm in is a pretty good one even if they're not a strictly RP guild. That's just been very difficult to find lately.

I also finally, and lovingly, packed away my original Game Boy 3 1/2 years ago when I bought a DS. I really LOVE the DS platform. I have a Mario Kart edition DS, it is red and that's my fav color, and also a DS Lite in crimson and black. I later learned that one was considered the "senior" edition DS Lite. Sheesh!!! I play a number of titles on that platform. The Mario Kart is great. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was a WONDERFUL game. I've dialed back on the DS purchasing in the past year but do plan on buying Scribblenauts when it comes out this Fall in the US.

As for table top and pen and paper gaming, other than enjoying board games as a kid and enjoying some of the standards still, I've not done too much of it. However, I just found out about a local board gaming group and am thinking of checking them out come September when cooler weather sets in and a slower pace settles on us all. I'm lucky in that I have an abundant amount of free time but I also have an abundance of interests and hobbies to fill that time!

Currently I'm playing, besides EQ2, Spore (which I wish EA had made more robust...grrr), Fallout 3, some Half Life 2 now and then, The Eldar Scrolls: Oblivion and World of Goo (TONS of fun!!) I also got, for my birthday last week, a Wii. Yup, I finally got a new console and I didn't think it would be the Wii but after playing with one and hearing my friend talk about how much fun hers is, I took the plunge. I got the Wii Fit board too which is surprisingly a ton of fun. Wii Sports, which it comes with, Wii Play and Mario Kart. I also picked up Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess yesterday when I got frustrated that I could not find Little King's Story. Play magazine, which I really enjoy and respect, loved it as did many others in reviews I read all over the place. I do hope to pick it up soon or order it. Overall I think the Wii is a great console with a lot of potential and I'm not regretting the purchase. I had thought if I ever did get a current generation console, the DS doesn't count IMO, it would be the Xbox 360 but nope, I turned to the Wii !

I'll close this missive by saying that I build my own computers and have been doing so since around 1996. I did help build a '386 machine for myself in 1993 but then at the end of that year at the holidays I got a pre-built '486 which I added a cd rom player to and a 16 bit sound card, and then later upgraded a bit. I'm currently planning on building a new machine after the first of the year coming up, if all goes well. My desktop and main gaming machine is now nearing the 4 year old mark. I also game on a big laptop although it too is getting a bit long in the tooth and I can't really play Fallout 3 on it. I won't replace that anytime soon though, the economy isn't what it was and although it's 3 years old it was and is pure luxury whereas I consider the desktop a must have.

So now you know a LOT about me and my gaming and overall computer history. Why do I want to join TOG? I really would LOVE to be able to have regular fun, discussion, chit chat and so on with people my own age, or at least those that remember high school and college years with fondness and a bit of blurriness plus know what it's like to still be able to look at a new game the first time you fire it up and be amazed at how far it all has come. I also want to know gamers around my age who truly ENJOY their gaming for gaming's sake.

Yes, this was long. Yes, I'm verbose. But I'm also a good listener and I'm sure I'll find a lot to listen to here and a lot to learn. And I'm really looking forward to it all!

Thanks!
Alten ( means old one in German...or to be more precise, Die Alten means The Old Ones )

[Moza]

Greetings Alten and Welcome to TOG!

A moderator will be along shortly to go over your application, make sure all is in order and then grant you full site access. Once that has happened you should head on down to the EQ2 forums to get signed up.

Great to have you with us and I'm sure Sassy will be along to welcome you with a tasty pint also. Cheers.

[Lendal]

Welcome to TOG, your application has been reviewed and approved.

You now have full access to all parts of TOG including:

• All TOG member only Forums
• All TOG member only areas of the website
• All TOG member only game divisions
• All TOG game servers

Your membership also includes access to various get-together, events, contests, and other exclusives for this 25 and over only organisation.

For a complete list of everything your membership includes along with everything you might want to know in order to take advantage of your new membership, be sure to stop by to read the "New TOG Members' Guide"

Currently TOG consists of nearly 30 game divisions and over 36,000 registered members. There's also plenty of other cool stuff on TOG, so browse around & check it all out. We sincerely hope that you enjoy TOG for as long as you choose to. Feel free to spread the message to your friends and family who enjoy gaming and don't forget to have fun yourself!

All the best!

The Older Gamers

[Alten]

Thanks! If there's any other info needed I hope no one will hesitate to ask.

[Sassy]

Well Hello *hands Alten a pint*.

On behalf of the EQ II Division, welcome to TOG!

We hope you enjoy your gaming experience with TOG for years to come.

Hop on over to our offical invite thread and an officer will catch up to you in game!

Sassy
Guild Leader of The Old Guard
Everquest II – Najena

[Alten]

Hi Sassy and thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Unless I'm just not getting it or having a "senior moment" I understand that TOG is only on the Najena server in EQ2, correct? Sadly all of my toons are on the Antonia Bayle RP server. Please PM me if I'm just not getting this. Thanks!