Where "Realms Beyond" Began

[Occhidiangela]

As the inaugural post on this forum, I would like to acknowledge the incredible imagination and humor, not to mention slight insanity, that induces people to arrive in the mindset necessary to be a card carrying "Variant Scum."

Diablo acted as an incredible catalyst for a peculiar set of individuals who like RP as well as the KISS principle of Diablo, one of the finer PC games, even 6/7 years into its life.

For those interested, a short comment on "how I became a variant scum" might be a nice bit of posterity to savor.

Hi, I'm Occhi the Rogue, and I am Variant Scum. :blink:

I was a late comer to Diablo, indeed to PC games at all, and stumbled upon the Variant way via pointers from many at the DSF, may it rest in peace. It was from the Lurker Lounge that I drifted into the Variant way, inspired mostly by Charis' brilliance and good humor, Lemming's outright insanity, and the 3@30 and BNM Variants that had amused me in Diablo.

Without caffeine, life itself would not be possible for certain rogues.

[ShadowHM]

Originally posted by Occhidiangela@Mar 29 2004, 03:20 PM
For those interested, a short comment on "how I became a variant scum" might be a nice bit of posterity to savor.

Hi

I often wonder what exactly makes a "Variant Scum" personality. The only criteria I can pinpoint with any form of exactitude is 'strong-minded to the point of iconoclastic'. By and large, if some gormless fool says it can't be done - then that is where the variant scum will charge right in. :war:

I owe my sons a debt of gratitude for the countless hours squandered in this game. When the eldest was 10 he came home with a request for a game with the suspicious name of Diablo that could be played online. I insisted on checking it out myself before permitting them to try it. :D

Once online, I slowly discovered that there were nuances to the game that allowed for considerable (to put it mildly) re-playability. I stumbled along until rescued from the pubbie games by a member of the Diablo guild that I ended up joining. (Zed, do you recall Lanfear? Although she 'found' me, it was Shark, Sha Yu Tang, Rocksteady, Beoric, Vanyel and, most of all, FlashNPan who got me going. Vanyel, in particular got me hooked on smart-ass repartee in-game, although her dad, Beoric, was right in there too.)

Pointers to the DSF for queries yielded posts from the likes of Thecla (I still remember the feeling of relief I got from a post of yours that played counter-point to the rants I got when I inquired about how a poor Rogue was to avoid feathering the tele-killing warriors) and Charis (the Zen characters - I loved those Zen Rogues).

BNR's and 3@30 chars were fun too.

There were good times there, but when D2 arrived, it slowly fell apart. The Lurker Lounge (Bless You Bolty) filled a gap. So did the arrival of another partner - WarBlade's fearless tries at every build he could think of kept me motivated to try some too.

And blessings and many thanks to Roland for his DSF Realm, where I got to meet many of the current denizens of this Asylum. :D Were it not for good company, I would have stopped playing.

[Scrape]

Originally posted by ShadowHM@Mar 29 2004, 12:16 PM
Once online, I slowly discovered that there were nuances to the game that allowed for considerable (to put it mildly) re-playability.  I stumbled along until rescued from the pubbie games by a member of the Diablo guild that I ended up joining.  (Zed, do you recall Lanfear?  Although she 'found' me, it was Shark, Sha Yu Tang, Rocksteady, Beoric, Vanyel and, most of all, FlashNPan who got me going.  Vanyel, in particular got me hooked on smart-ass repartee in-game, although her dad, Beoric, was right in there too.)

When I read this paragraph, I was like "Hmm, I used to know all these people." Then I realized whose post I was reading. Good ol' Honor and Might. Remember when it was part of the larger clan, then it broke off. Wow...it's been a while since I talked to any of them. Some I had in my old ICQ list. Vanyel I used to actually see in the Trading Post during Diablo II's rookie year. She was talking about playing on Asia or something.

I remember FlashNPan was the first person I played a mod with. That would be one of VK's first (if not the first). Gosh, it's been years already.

Remember playing with Rocksteady and his slow CD-ROM (or was it a modem thing, or both?). Anyway, I just remember we always had to go down the stairs before him, so then he could take 5 minutes and load the next level. So I figured it was his CD-ROM.

I think the last HM'er I talked to via ICQ was Target. Well, I do still talk to SHISHAK. He's not really an HM'er, but he did visit the channel. You know him, eh Shadow?

As for variants, it's been a bit since I've played any. I used to play them often. Always looked forward to Variant Night on Tuesdays. I tried a few variants in DII, but it just was not as enjoyable.

It does feel spiffy to talk about variants though...and all the memories that haven't faded yet.

[Pete]

Hi,

Diablo started getting boring and my dial up connection was a mess. So I looked for a more challenging way to play. Added some (very little) character background and restrictions and ended up with the Immortal Heroes. About that time, Woody and Hairy were launching the BNM movement to hassle the griefers. Some months later, Woody posted a request for other variants, and I reposted the Immortal Rules. When my connection got better, I grew a BNM to a 3@30 on "variants night" and had a few cursed yard sales (giveaways, really). Also helped to set up the short lived "Role Playing Diablo" games (although I still have Kamm_Kusan and his bio on a backup disk )

I never meant to be variant scum, and possibly cannot claim that honor (too many of the newer variants are too rules heavy for me), but I enjoy the company of those with the variant mentality(?). For a bunch of crazies, they're all right

--Pete

[ShadowHM]

Originally posted by Scrape@Mar 29 2004, 06:02 PM

I think the last HM'er I talked to via ICQ was Target.

I owe Target for the best displays of Northern Lights I have ever seen. He was doing one of his North American visits, and two cottage friends were hosting him. We had plied him with much beer and taught him the finer points of crokinole until about 4:00 a.m. When we finally called it quits, he headed down the lane towards their cottage but was back in a couple of minutes to enquire whether 'this' was the Northern Lights we had described. And it was! I had never before and have never since seen them like that. The entire 360 degrees of sky were covered with shifting coloured lights. :D

Remember playing with Rocksteady and his slow CD-ROM (or was it a modem thing, or both?). Anyway, I just remember we always had to go down the stairs before him, so then he could take 5 minutes and load the next level.

Rocksteady did have the damnest problems with loading areas. I had forgotten all those 'go down the stairs and wait' times. And he used to go afk for ages in his own games. We used to leave calling cards in town for him - a scroll if infravision was mine. B)

Well, I do still talk to SHISHAK. He's not really an HM'er, but he did visit the channel. You know him, eh Shadow?

Shishak is the last of those companions left. He drops by the RBD games at times now.

[Zed-F]

Originally posted by ShadowHM@Mar 29 2004, 05:16 PM
Zed, do you recall Lanfear?  Although she 'found' me, it was Shark, Sha Yu Tang, Rocksteady, Beoric, Vanyel and, most of all, FlashNPan who got me going.  Vanyel, in particular got me hooked on smart-ass repartee in-game, although her dad, Beoric, was right in there too.

Unfortunately, I believe Lanfear was before my time at HM. I do recall Shark and his brother, Rocksteady, Vanyel, and FlashNPan, though, along with several others. I had most to do with Shark as I was interested in tournament organization, and I eventually wound up meeting him when I took my trip to New Brunswick. Haven't seen any of them other than Flash online anytime recently, though; I understand they mostly got into other games like UO and EverQuest, so I suppose it's to be expected.

EDIT: Ah, yes, I remember Target too! We drove him down to upper NY state from Ottawa once to meet with one of the other H&M members, whose name escapes me at the moment. Actually, that was on the outbound leg of our trip to the Maritimes, oddly enough.

[Vanyel]

Originally posted by Scrape+Mar 29 2004, 06:02 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Scrape @ Mar 29 2004, 06:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--ShadowHM@Mar 29 2004, 12:16 PM
I stumbled along until rescued from the pubbie games by a member of the Diablo guild that I ended up joining.&nbsp; (Zed, do you recall Lanfear?&nbsp; Although she 'found' me, it was Shark, Sha Yu Tang, Rocksteady, Beoric, Vanyel and, most of all, FlashNPan who got me going.&nbsp; Vanyel, in particular got me hooked on smart-ass repartee in-game, although her dad, Beoric, was right in there too.)

When I read this paragraph, I was like "Hmm, I used to know all these people." Then I realized whose post I was reading. Good ol' Honor and Might. Remember when it was part of the larger clan, then it broke off. Wow...it's been a while since I talked to any of them. Some I had in my old ICQ list. Vanyel I used to actually see in the Trading Post during Diablo II's rookie year. She was talking about playing on Asia or something.

I remember FlashNPan was the first person I played a mod with. That would be one of VK's first (if not the first). Gosh, it's been years already.
<snipped for brevity>
[/b][/quote]

Ha! Figures you'd lay the blame on me, Shady Lady. Between you and Beoric, my road to caffeine addiction was signed, sealed and delivered, even if I did fall away from Diablo once that cursed patch made validating all 80+ mules a chore greater than I had any desire to face ever, ever again.

Ahh H&M! It was a sweet little guild that will always be in my heart. I even recall the ruffled feathers that used to abound whenever Random came in to troll for reactions... We must have been dear to her heart.

I can't claim to be a variant scum myself, but I do remember you, Scrapist. Did I first see you in the Sorcerers Tower? Was that even what it was called? Perhaps you recall I was shuddering in the Trading Post in culture shock after connecting for the first time to the Asian realm and chancing upon the ongoing conversation that went something like 'wich best china korea or japn?'. Never have you seen Vanyel run so fast or far away from an Asian server since.

The only claim to variancy I ever had was the refusal to ever kill Diablo in any difficulty. By the time I hit level 50, the accusing cries of 'fag h4cker omfgz u suk!' was rewarding music to my ears. So I was a Diablo virgin, bite me. ;P

No mocking that bearded old lady mage now, she did do all the gear hunting for H&M, good as well as cursed items.

Gods, I still have a bunch of those names on ICQ. Shark is enjoying a blissful married life. I'm not sure if his wrist ever recovered from getting a warrior to level 50 on pure clicking power alone. He moved to EQ with his brother Sha Yu Tang (translates to Shark's Fin Soup if you're curious heh) I figure about a year or 8 months prior to D2 hitting the stands.

FlashNPan, among others, got me into VK's mods, some of the best fun I had before D2 arrived and I just lost interest, unfortunately. Still, it's wonderful to revisit these fond memories, and it's good to see your text again, Scrape. Shadypoo I have to admit I still spam on ICQ when our differing timezones allow. It -has- been years. Coming close to a decade now. Viva la D1 variants! :wub:

[Occhidiangela]

Yes, you qualify as Variant Scum, (pending an official ruling from Lemming, which I am sure will be arriving post haste) an honorific exceeding that of "Honorary Team Captain of the Maple Leafs," for this reason alone:

The only claim to variancy I ever had was the refusal to ever kill Diablo in any difficulty. By the time I hit level 50, the accusing cries of 'fag h4cker omfgz u suk!' was rewarding music to my ears. So I was a Diablo virgin, bite me. ;P

That, vanyel of indeterminate but I suspect distaff gender, is Variancy indeed! If Lemming disagrees, he can go watch liveandletdive at joecartoon.com. :P

No mocking that bearded old lady mage now, she did do all the gear hunting for H&M, good as well as cursed items.

The basis for my assumption that thou art "a Daughter of Eve."

Welcome to the Fun House!

_Occhidiangela, once known as Rogue with a Heart, for all the times a roguish PK'd ear got ID's into a Heart . . . it was not until after doing it a few times and reading Jarulf's guide that I realized that giving it to someone gave them an ear . . . not a heart. Rats. <_<

[the_shark]

Hi, my name is shark, and I'm just plain scum :laugh:
As Vanny said, I'm enjoying married life now, and I've actually broken the EQ habit now (after reaching level 65 as shaman, 61 as necro, 55 as ranger, 47 as shadow knight, etc). The wrist and fingers are basically recovered, but I make sure not to abuse them with insane mouse clicking B)

I've rediscovered a much more exciting and fun game - it's called Hung Gar Gung Fu training. That is keeping me busy these days when I'm not gardening, working on the house, shoveling snow, practicing chi gong, or cooking up a storm :D

I'm basically weaned off online games (other than a little Demise), since one chi gong I do takes 6 months of daily increased exercise levels to properly complete (and I'm considering the iron vest training that takes minimum one year also). If you ever wondered what that old drive could do to me in RL, you have an idea now hehehe.

sharky

[Lemming]

Yes, you qualify as Variant Scum, (pending an official ruling from Lemming, which I am sure will be arriving post haste)

What does someone being "variant scum" have to do with me? :blink:

-Lemmy