Wow, I can't believe the Lounge is still around...

[Armin]

Something strange happened today...

When cleaning up my old computer chaos I was ditching old manuals, old paper and old disks. I stumbled upon a disk labelled "Diablo character backups", remembering that one still held Percy, the world's first level 50 BNM.

So in a fit of sentiment, nostalgia and alltogether WAY too much time at my hands (unemployed after the biotech company I worked for went broke) I did the unthinkable and *gasp* reinstalled Diablo on my old work comp.

Got all teary-eyed when I found out that Percy was indeed still there, toyed around a bit and finally started a new character. Played 5 damn hours straight and just remembered how damn FUN this game is, even today, after 7 years and then some... B)

Deep down in some recesses of my old brain I even rememberd some things from the olden days. And noticed how much I forgot. Heck, I almost touched a fascinating shrine... ;)

So when looking for the old goodies I was astounded to find Freshman Diablo with all my old stuff still out there, and the link to the LL still working! And looking here, I get even MORE nostalgic and sentimental seeing how many of the old names I still recognize.

So a BIG hello to Bolty, Griselda, Pete, Thecla, Warlocke, Nystul, Occhidiangela, Lochnar, Crystalion and all the other diehards whose names I missed when skimming the posts here! Great to see you lurking :P

Gee, I wonder if I can still pull off a 3@30...

Armin

[Count Duckula]

Sweet Jesus.

Do you know how long I've been *looking* for you?!

Not to spring anything sudden on you, but I've been compiling a history of the Diablo universe from Ogden's to the DSFC. You figure prominently into it. Last I heard you were playing Neverwinter Nights.

I caught the tail end of the Diablo phenomenon, right before Woody blinked out of existance for the last time. You, BelShaanar, Lemming, Pete, and Woody all influenced me and made my Diablo gaming a memorable experience. And, after the larger-than-life hero gleam wore off and I came to know y'all as people, y'all turned out to be pretty good people.

(I is the English major and I'm at a loss for words. ^_^)

However, there was one person I never got to meet in anything other than writings and dusty old posts through archive.org's Wayback Machine. And that would be you.

So thank you, Armin. Thanks for everything. :)

(Will write better post later when not star-struck and on my way to a meeting.)

[SoulEdge]

Armin! Holy sh...

Wow...

I'm speechless.

[Skandranon]

Nice to see you again, Armin.

I was in channel when Percy made 50. Still one of the greatest things ever done in classic Diablo.

-Skan

[DeeBye]

Hi Armin!

[Bolty]

Armin!

Please do stick around, ok? You were high up on my "I wonder whatever happened to" list. The Lurker Lounge isn't just about Diablo anymore, and I know some of the gang here wouldn't mind seeing you in an upcoming game.

Myself included!

-Bolty

P.S. It's ironic that you show up today. The site just completed a move and this is NOT what the forum normally looks like. :)

[Thecla]

oops double post -- darn new fangled forum

[Thecla]

And a big hello to you too, Armin -- great to see you also.

p.s. One definition of the height of irony: if Armin had to read "Freshman Diablo" to learn how to play Diablo (again). ;)

[ShadowHM]

What a welcome surprise to see you post here again. :)

I was a 'real' Lurker back then, so I doubt you recall me. But it is a pleasure to see your text again.

[Sir_Die_alot]

Welcome back! Why did you leave? Sure Bolty is mean but he doesn't have as much time to pick on people as he used to. :P :lol:

[Griselda]

Armin!

It's good to hear from you! Too bad it's hard to manage being employed *and* playing games. :P I don't load up Diablo very often these days, but when I do, it always amazes me how much easier it is to get back into Diablo compared to relearning Diablo II after a break. In D2, the rust is more apparent, at least for me.

Do you have your eye on any upcoming games?

-Griselda

[LochnarITB]

So a BIG hello to Bolty, Griselda, Pete, Thecla, Warlocke, Nystul, Occhidiangela, Lochnar, Crystalion and all the other diehards whose names I missed when skimming the posts here! Great to see you lurking  :P
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Sweet Je... (nope, been used) Holy sh... (that one too) Wow (and that one)

Man oh man! Blast from the past! Good to see you sir. Hang around for a while. There are many good discussions to be lurked even beyond the games we have loved, with a new game or two to come.

Gee, I wonder if I can still pull off a 3@30...

That was my thought when I took up the classic recently. It is doable. B)

[--Pete]

Good to see you :)


Hi,

Did you hear us talking? Just a few days ago, you came up in conversation again in another of those "and what ever happened to Armin?" discussions. Glad to see you're alive and well. Sorry to hear about the job, but I imagine you've got good prospects. What you need to do is find a job like your graduate work -- lots of time to post while waiting for cultures :) Yeah, I know -- technicians do that kind of thing.

Hope you do stick around -- there's a lot more to discuss than games, and the level of discussion here has remained pretty high. Another quality poster -- heck, you are more than welcome.

--Pete

[DeeBye]

Did you hear us talking?  Just a few days ago, you came up in conversation again in another of those "and what ever happened to Armin?" discussions.
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I must be a prognosticator of some sort. I posted that 10 days ago :)

edit: I wonder who else I might be able to bring out of the Void by uttering their names? Hey Claudio!

[WarLocke]

I must be a prognosticator of some sort.  I posted that 10 days ago :)

edit: I wonder who else I might be able to bring out of the Void by uttering their names?  Hey Claudio!
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If you're going to summon someone up, I haven't heard from Boots in years. :unsure:

Or heck, try for Felisandria or concre+e...

And welcome back, Armin! Do stick around for awhile! B)

[Armin]

You folks are incredible...

Sheesh, now I feel all warm and fuzzy and even MORE sentimental :P
And remembering just how incredibly GREAT this community has always been (especially compared to many others on the web...)

Thanks all for the kind words... wow, I don't know what to say.

Count Duckula
*blushes* Didn't know I'm a web celebrity :blink:

And, yes, I have been playing NWN - a lot. Still do, in fact, though I've never been 100% happy with it (lousy AI, no party control). But the incredible amount (and often, quality) of user made mods keeps it alive for me. I've never become involved in the community even remotely as much as in the good old Diablo days, though I *did* write a rather lengthy editorial (rant?) for the NWVault once...

Skan:
I remember the day :D
Was flabberghasted that it still can be found in the SSTSI section.

Bolty:
Have readded the Lounge to my bookmarks B)
As to the "whatever happened to":
Finished the Ph.D. thesis, got a job at a startup biotech company, worked 60+ hours a week for the first year. Worked more in the second year, when things started to go downhill, got involved in union and employee's rights affairs when the management started to really botch things up. Got fired after bankrupcy and the remains of the company got sold to some vultures... And suddenly have TIME at my disposal again. Also gotten into politics lately, in an attempt to stop the neoliberal revolution from completely screwing the country :D

Thecla:
Yes, the irony wasn't lost on me :P

Gris:
Well, the upcoming games I REALLY have my eyes on are, of course, Dragon Age and NWN2. Also KOTOR2. Still unsure if I'll give WoW a try, last MMoRPG I tried was a disaster (SW: Galaxies)

Pete:
After 6 months of frustration (biotech industry really went down the drain in Germany in 2003) it looks better atm. Have 3 very real possibilities, though each one will require to move to the other end of the country (which is right next door in American scales I guess :) )

Again, thanks all for the welcome!

[Occhidiangela]

The site just completed a move and this is NOT what the forum normally looks like.  :)
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I'd guess Armin is used to the forum changing looks, being an old timer.

Occhi

:D

[Rhydderch Hael]

Armin... if you're here... then who do I have buried in my root cellar? :huh:

[Count Duckula]

Count Duckula
*blushes*  Didn't know I'm a web celebrity  :blink:

And, yes, I have been playing NWN - a lot. Still do, in fact, though I've never been 100% happy with it (lousy AI, no party control). But the incredible amount (and often, quality) of user made mods keeps it alive for me. I've never become involved in the community even remotely as much as in the good old Diablo days, though I *did* write a rather lengthy editorial (rant?) for the NWVault once...

Maybe not a celebrity per se, just heavily involved with the community and BNM play, about as much as Woody, even more so. (I've raised several BNMs myself, starting with Pirengle(BNM).) You were also kind of a missing link. While tracking down information about the Diablo community before 2001, I spoke to many of the old-timers. Your name kept cropping up in posts and guides and conversations (that whole thing with AnonymousCoward being the cincher) and I just had to find out where you were. I think it was Griselda (or ShadowNM?) who told me you played NWN. I actually bought NWN (I'd been planning to anyway) but swapped it for IWD2 when it wouldn't run on my computer.

And now here you are, and when I've stopped squeeing, I can pick your brain. If you'll let me, of course. ^_^

[Armin]

Armin... if you're here... then who do I have buried in my root cellar? :huh:
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Hey, don't forget I have a Ph.D. in molecular cell biology. You'll NEVER know how many clones are out there... :ph34r: