You guys have completely captured my heart with this topic. Blame it on me missing the very first history of OWF topic ages ago. I first saw AO on the demo disk that came with my PlayStation, which I played on Boxing Day 1997, so actually three months after the game came out. It wasn't under I spotted a very early article about Abe's Exoddus in a magazine while lingering by the newspaper racks in the entrance of the Tesco at Harford Bridge (which I used to do all the time) that I would say I really became a true fan. I was beserk. After hearing about Fleeches and Slurgs (which I kinda got mixed up - I thought Fleeches were crimson things that hung from ceilings [I 'misread' a Mudokon Skull blueprint, lol!] and Slurgs were green two-headed worms) I started creating huge 'screens' for Abe to get through, which covered a few A4 sides each and were littered with enough characters to blow a PS1's RAM to pieces. I also started churning out some of the most unimaginative creatures, characters and stories you'd ever hear in your life, if, that is, I would divulge. Which I will never, ever do.
But on to the online story. I regularly read the early GT Forums (which don't even exist on the Wayback Machine anymore), and at some point I felt I just had to post. I even asked permission, and my parents and I had a short discussion about it. Hahaha, I can't even remember my relationship with mum and dad back then. We must have closer back then, though: since we've all been repelling each other for as long as I can remember, logic dictates we must have started off closer. Woo, the primary evidence for the Big Bang. Where are you, Pinky? Oh, that's right, OWF hasn't even been founded at this point. My first post at the GT Forums went against every 'Encyclopaedic' tendency I have today. I asked what a Greeter was. I'd seen one, and I suspected that's what it was, but I asked and got the answer I was expecting. I also remember the History thread. Man, at the time, that was soooo deep: speculation that the Sligs were genetically engineered from Slurgs... oh God, tonnes of other stuff, too. It was fascinating. I so wish I'd have recorded all this stuff. Fan fics back then were short and kinda simple. There was the Slig Nursery, which I think remains my favourite, since there's no story, just a snapshot of everyday Magog Life. I've Googled and Waybacked for it since, but never come up with anything. There was another story about Abe and Elum wandering into a strange new land filled with other natives, or was it just Elum? There was another that took place after Abe failed AO, and the character was offered the chance to go back in time and change the course of history. Then, of course, came Only Hyoo-Mun, the classic of classic fan fics. It's at this point I have to admit to only having read the first couple of chapters, but that's only because I don't have the time!
Then the GT Forums updated, and all that was lost. Everyone was having problems with Voicelocks, but that's all I really remember from that period, except that slowly discussion petered away, until I asked where everyone was, and someone told me about the Exoddus Club. That was founded back in 1999, and I suppose it wasn't long after that that I came in. The topic at the time was actually 'Slig Slime-trails', lol. So many golden memories in there, especially Abe Babe organising a birthday card to send to OWI (I remember I'd just joined Norwich School at that time, and I was desperate to get my drawings scanned in somehow, so they could be included in the card. Our network was nearly so expansive as it is now, and I kept pestering Mr Hill to use his scanner, and when I finally did, the image wasn't on the disk, until finally we discovered the image straight from the scanner was several megabytes! I mustn't have known anything about computers back then, lol. I also remember the physics technician getting super stressed once when I went up to the prep room in the Fleming Labs physics department and asked for Mr Hill for the second morning in a row. I never noticed he'd left until now. This is what I mean when I talk about life being so totally holistic. I've probably spared you from that particular ramble, lol), the massive row that errupted when some jerk made the 2000th post when some other member clearly stated earlier that he would make a meaningful announcement when that time came, and the infamous 'Hello, and Doves' topic, started by moi, which survived over 20 replies, probably more. By OWF standards, I know it doesn't sound like much, but in such a close-knit community, every singe post was thoroughly deep and meaningful, and included many facts and theories. At some point, she can doubtlessly relate this paragraph in much more detail than I (although is probably sick of doing so
), Sydney created the Oddworldian Forums to compliment her site, and eventually Abe Babe got Oddworld-Web involved. This was actually following a kerfuffle between Syd and some OC member, but I believe that that wasn't related.
When I first joined OWF, there was one topic that I remember, going on about how the Fuzzles looked like something out of McDonald's. I disagreed totally at the time, but have actually come to pretty much agree, although that's only because the way Fuzzles turned out was much more drab than preliminary art and images suggested. I also remember that at the time I was waiting for Crash Bash to come out. To be honest, I don't remember that specifically, but on our family holiday (I'm pretty sure things were already starting to look bad back then) soon after that, I found a picture of the big Walrus and forced mum to come and take a look while I drivelled on about how stupid it was people were complaining about Fuzzles when this atrocity was roaming the media. That might have been the time I tried to reignite my love of the paranormal, but it probably actually wasn't. Many OWF members were fans of the supernatural as well, and as I discovered recently, that's yet another tradition that still survivies today, though much less proliferantly. I can't relate the specific technical or design details, but life then was fun - we were a community, as Alcar often iterates. Pinky/Danny fights wee frequent, common, and above all, the norm. I actually miss them, but I know that nowadays I'd get as wound up as everyone else did back in the day. Whenever I enter such things, I always end up trying to agree with the scientific side, but saying that we shouldn't be so cocky, since we don't actually have proof, only evidence, leaving Pinky's lack of proof well alone. I knew what she was capable of, and I didn't want to be part of that furore.
I remember the 'Create an Oddworld product' thread, but all I remember is a really disgusting picture of a toilet (from Pinky, I think) and Fleech skin condoms (from good ol' ODDBODD). I made up several of my own, but only vaguely remember something to do with a tabogan (sp) and a semi-witty pun to do with lights. I also remember the kittens thread, but I didn't get too involved with that, either. That was a massive topic back in its time. Over 100 replies! everyone would boast. I remember the Odd Tour, Kaimana and OIPT... I remember when Jacob first joined, and I got into an arguement with him about how farting on Oddworld wasn't immature. I took one look at his profile, filled with purile references to girls, bedding, and slavery, and concluded he had no right to decry anything as being immature. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's right - Jacob went on about girls. Yet, honest to God, I cannot remember our beloved Chris getting banned. I remember there was a rather large commotion over Rach getting her name changed. Bizarre.
The Split, now that was interesting. I left OWF for a long time to join The Glass Asylum, but eventually Xavier persuaded me to return, and I stuck around at both for a long time. But eventually things took their course, proceses took place (which I won't go into, least of all because I just know I've bored every single one of you to tears of fear, fearing for your sanity as I type ever-onwards into the sunset...), and I just come here, now. I'm glad Eddie and Rach keep popping up, even if they disappear again afterwards. I really wish Anna was still about - she was just a remarkable person, and totally dedicated to Oddworld, too. She was the one to spot to inconsistencies of size on the Oddworld Map, which of course instigated me to send a list of mistakes to OWI, which brought me to their attention. Boom, Fan of the Month. Thanks Anna: you're remembered by me as something very special, even if by no one else. I don't remember SteelShark turning into an arse, but I do remember he had some kind of unhealthy stewardship over the Xbox. I forget how he became Fan of the Month - I don't even remember him appearing in GD.
SeaRex, you remember ZombieX. I could kiss you for it. You've taken me right back to me second year of Norwich School now. He was, I guess, my best friend at school at the time, even though he was only there for a year before moving to La Canada. I hope he's still planning to visit this summer, I never see him on MSN anymore. We used to joke around a lot... I specifically remember writing 'Max the Mug' in my RS textbook as I handed it back to Reverend Housman at the end of the school year, tee hee hee. He also dug up one of my quotes on the Forums from yonks ago where I said that if we all were vegetarians, we wouldn't be as healthy. He commented that I certainly had changed my opinion, and thanks to Sydney, I had. Syd really helped me to consider becoming vege, but actually that still hasn't happened. I was planning to ask Nick about it last week, but my shyness stepped in the way. I remember when I first explained to everyone I was selective mute, and the sympathy started rolling in. That's when I first started doing something about it, again thanks to James (ZombieX) for suggesting I see the school counsellor, who really did help. I also spoke often about Ross on the Forums, which ties in both to the very start of the year James joined, when I first had a crush on him, to the end of the year, when I had a relapse on the Lake District Trip, which was both very close to the time James left and the first wave of thinking about giving up meat. Jacob asked me about him sometimes, ha ha ha. And of course I had a mini relapse when I first started seeing the counsellor, which started the Christmas before, when I was doing super amounts of work at Stuarts, and I came up with the etermination to improve my vocal ability.
Pay close attention to how everything links into everything else in that paragraph. The holistics of life in full review.
It was also James who told me to stop hiding behind the name 'Max'. I think it was a real identity crisis I was having at the time. Back then I was Maxaham Muggledarner. Then Max Bunce. Then I finally revealed my name to a few people, such as Anna and Tom. And if you want to know it, go read my Fan of the Month entry. No, don't, that image stinks, and I'm sure what I wrote was rubbish, too. I still haven't got my hands on a digital camera, yet. I'm growing my hair long (not shoulder length or anything weird like that). I remember constantly trying to find excuses for not providing the What Do You Look Like topic with images of myself. That reminds me, my dermatology appointment is in a few weeks.
That's it, enough rambling, damnit. I'm sure you've got more interesting things to do. I know I have.
Ah... Beloved memories, or something of the sort.
) that the new Oddworld game was supposed to be released on PS2.
