Where did you come from? What's your story?

[Andrew]

So, with all the changes going on, I got to thinking about all the things I've seen happen in this game. All the updates, additions, alterations. All the great wars, the backstabs, the multiple times the PMW got accused of abusing the game rules. So I got wondering, surely we all came from somewhere. We all have stories. What's yours?

Me? Well, I first found BattleMaster in October of 2005. And, it kinda scares me to think about it, but that means I've been playing off and on, mostly on, for nearing a decade now. If I recall correctly, and I might not--it has been a long time now--I was really bored and trying to find cheap games to play. Back then I didn't have much in the way of money, and was limited to dial-up internet, so my choices were nil-to-none. Somewhere along the line I ended up on the MultiPlayer Online Games Directory (mpogd.com) searching through the many varies multiplayer online games in said directory. BattleMaster was probably one of several dozen games I looked at. It's still on the directory, if you're curious.

Back then, I was the definition of a clueless noob. Had no clue whatsoever what I was doing. Joined Ubent, retired the character. Joined Itorunt, retired the character. Joined Ibladesh, made another character in Ibladesh, a month goes by, I made a newspaper for the realm on the wiki, one of the older characters didn't like it. I think they were the general, we got in a bit of an arguement. Both of my characters got banned, ended up joining Perdan. My first, more argumentative character ends up taking control of Perdan's Crimson Wing, and then dieing in battle against the Ibbies not more than a couple months later. That was Sargon Tian (my forum namesake). The other character Yunari ended up have a long career, eventually ending up as the duchess of partora at one point.

Since then I've played a dozen plus characters across every isle in the game but the war islands. Been in every position of the hierarchy but General, which is odd cause I love strategy games. Guess it seemed like too much work. Been a part of several religions in game, helped set up realms, helped destroy realms, been through invasions on Beluaterra, watched Dwilight get settled, saw the war islands sink, celebrated the fall of Ibladesh, even partook in getting dueling outlawed as a sport (anyone remember the EIDA?). I remember Ubent, Ibladesh, Itorunt, Oligarch, and Old Rancagua.

Over the years I've taken three breaks from BattleMaster. Once when life said I had to. That was in late 2008. A different time, I took a break that lasted probably six months. And am just returning from a break that lasted another six months or so. It's weird to think how much of this game I've seen. And I know I've only seen about half of it at that.