Walk with me, down memory lane....

[MrVicchio]

My History of PSU:

When I first heard about this wild new game in the works, “Planetside” I searched the web for information. There were two fan sites that popped up. Planetside-Universe, and Planetside.info (PSI). I liked the PSU layout and started reading the website daily. I posted… things were good.

Then the moment that changed my Internet life, Hamma put out an ad for a “Developer News Gatherer” I think, I THINK was how he phrased it. It’s been a while. I jumped at the chance. I spent every day posting any and all posts from the PS dev team on the official forums. I did my best to give each thread a “tag line” that would get people to read them.

It was a lot of work really. I had to stay on the official SOE forums like a hound dog, post the link, the Dev post, and I tried to give each one some context. It wasn’t long before Hamma was impressed by my work. Okay, maybe he just got tired of me filling the lounge up with threads; regardless I got my own forum and my “blue” mod status.

I was VERY proud of that moment. As the game entered Beta things heated up. It was quite exciting. IRC was really big, though I personally have never been a fan of IRC and it was rare to see me on there. We did have a couple of Dev IRC chats, those were really exciting times for the PSU community.

There was of course, a feud, well… it was a feud in the forum goers minds more so then anything official between PSI and PSU. Each felt there site was the best. We of course, know who won that battle in the end J It did get ugly I think, at some points between the different posters bases, but well… hey PSU lasted 3 long, fun years. I don’t know whatever became of PSI. Last time I hit that site I got a page telling me how to download stuff…

Around that time I was involved with the clan BOHICA. I won’t go into that too much other than to say there was a falling out between Navarone and myself.

When the game went live, my job… well it kind of became pointless. The game was out and interest in what the Dev’s had to say waned. I tried to stay relevant, but it was quite apparent that the days of “Mr. Vicchio, Forum Hound” were fast coming to an end. I did what I could but was a bit depressed. I am not a code writer, I don’t have Marsman’s sexy smooth radio voice… what future was I to have at PSU moderator wise?

Well, in the interim, myself, Lexington Steele, Navarone and some of the old hands would go at it in political debate in the lounge. This as many of you may know, drove Hamma CRAZY! He finally decided to give the political “nuts” a home. Thus the PSU Political Debate Forum was born. Lex and Nav were given mod status, I was granted mod status I think two days later. (Yes, it’s true, I begged Hamma for it)

Things weren’t always great between the three of us moderating, and eventually Nav quit to concentrate on BOHICA. Lex and I had some epic and hehe, if I do say so, pointless debates on every subject under the sun.

I think the most colorful character to grace the forum, had to have been, hands down, MTX. I cannot begin to tell you how he got under my skin. He and I had a hate that just dripped across the forum. It was really terrible. But at the same time… it was in a way, fun. And it went on for… months. I dunno where or what MTX is up to these days, but he’s one poster I will never forget.

In the fall of 2003, my wife of eight years, mother of my two children, decided that living the life of a Navy wife married to a political junkie and gaming fanatic wasn’t cutting it and left me. It was the darkest hour of my adult life. Watching my children leave that cold Halloween night. The PSU community was my escape, my salvation really. With the exception of a rather awful poster trying to use that incident as an attack against me, the PSU forum helped me survive those first few weeks.

Hamma through all the trials and tribulations of PSU has always been there to help me out, guide me, or smack me down when I was out of line. There were moments I thought he would fire me on the spot for things that went on, and instead sent me back a funny bit and a smiley. I call Hamma “Boss man” in our private PM’s and I mean it. He has been the type of guy you WANT to run a forum, and I thank him for his faith and support in me.

I hope this bit of PSU history is enjoyable, and entertaining to anyone that reads through it. For you newer posters, a bit of history, for the old hands, a bit of nostalgia as we spend the month saying good-bye to an old and dear friend, and look to February for, like the Phoenix from the ashes, a new forum based gaming community arises from www.PlanetSide-Universe.com

[starbum]

Very touching, Vic. I had no idea there was that much history. Im very glad PSU was there for you

[JetRaiden]

I found Mr.Vic's HAY GUYS thread while looking through the ancient lounge. it was pretty funny seeing a vet like him being all noobish.

[MrVicchio]

Oh man I left so much out too lol.

The AGN, all that good stuff, I was just reminicing about the start of PSU as we see the end comming, and hoped well.. someone would find this interesting

[NightWalker XI]

and when I came, u forgot that... >_>

[Hamma]

[MrVicchio]

Originally Posted by JetRaiden

I found Mr.Vic's HAY GUYS thread while looking through the ancient lounge. it was pretty funny seeing a vet like him being all noobish.

I was... noobish once? I don't believe it!

PS. What ancient lounge????

[Infernus]

Ah... nostalgia

[MrPaul]

That's quite a tale.

...

[Rbstr]

yay nostalgia

I too young to be going though this.

It's funny i don't remember a whole lot about how i found PSU.

Msot likey just a google on Planetside back when i was playing Infantry Online a bit i saw and add and it sparked my attention.

I do remember i entered in a contest to get a Beta Slot here, i won, i rember how happy i was to get the CD's, but then i had to get a friend to DL a patch because i was still on 56k at the time.

Some time after i got this computer(although no part has realy been leaft unchanged but the Hard drive) i started posting in the tech forum, i learned a lot and i also tried to help as much as i could.

Powdahound had left for some reason before i was a poster, and so the mod possition was up for grabs, and as i made an impression some how my name was put on an unofficial Poll along with NoS(then known as Pyro)

after a bit HAmma Pmed me and asked me if i wanted to be the tech mod.

Then i started venturing into the lounge but nothing of note ever seems to involve me in here.

[OfaLoaf]

One of the first posts I remember is one involving an action figure Hamma with Kung-Fu grip and Banstick action.

I also remember TekDragon... that was funny in a bizarre way. "Damn Feminazis are trying to take our rights! We should make that a game! " "You're putting politics in the lounge!" "No I'm not!"

Anyways, good times, good times.

[JetRaiden]

Originally Posted by MrVicchio

I was... noobish once? I don't believe it!

PS. What ancient lounge????

Go to the bottom of the lounge page. Go to Display Options. under the "From the:" hit Beginning. Go to the last page and you'll see threads from 9/02.

[Strygun]

I don't think anyone really cares about my PSU history... so I won't type it all out

[Ivan]

Originally Posted by Strygun

I don't think anyone really cares about my PSU history... so I won't type it all out

[Neon Apocalypse]

well i just lurked until september 2003 then i started posting and now here i am
with squeeky it was the funniest forum i ever read so i stayed