What leads you here?

[Lev]

On these forums, why are you here, what is your place?

Grab a hot drink, settle down and share your stories, if they are not very interesting just put them in a spoiler =]

Site Data (http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/http://www.giantitp.com/forums/index.php#):

Searches that lead to these forums:
1 order of the stick 17.82%
2 oots 12.74%
3 erfworld 2.29%
4 the order of the stick 1.18%
5 gitp 0.31%
6 ms paint adventures 0.27%
7 order stick 0.26%
8 order 0.23%
9 avatar pocahontas 0.17%
10 the stick 0.16%

Personal Info:
Gender 80% Male 20% Female
Kin 85% No 15% Yes
Mostly Visited From School
Mostly Age 24 and below, some 24-35, few 35-44, almost no 44+
Education is pretty split even between No College, Some College, High College, and Graduate School

The site health is completely stable, on par and does not show any signs of slowing down!

[ForzaFiori]

I was sent here by a member of the forum, who I knew from... I don't even remember where. We were talking about DnD and he showed me the site. Been hooked ever since.

As to my place? I mainly play DnD, and then throw in a few responses to threads that catch my eye, like this one.

[Kobold-Bard]

My first year of uni ended and the DM went home because she graduated. I had just discovered D&D that year and was having withdrawal.

I found the site whilst scouring Google for online D&D alternatives. Then OotS blew my mind and I became the raving fanboy you "see" before you.

[Quincunx]

Guest comic for 8-Bit Theater.

. . .it's been awhile.

[Eloi]

I was led here by my older brother liking the series and recommending it to me back in '05.

[Lycan 01]

I...

I don't remember. :smalleek:


Um... I think I came here after becoming interested in DnD, and being refered to Order of the Stick. Actually... no. Scratch that. I think I started reading Order of the Stick, then got interested in DnD, then joined the forums... Hm. Yeah, I have no idea what brought me to OotS in the first place. :smallconfused:

[Eloi]

I...

I don't remember. :smalleek:


Um... I think I came here after becoming interested in DnD, and being refered to Order of the Stick. Actually... no. Scratch that. I think I started reading Order of the Stick, then got interested in DnD, then joined the forums... Hm. Yeah, I have no idea what brought me to OotS in the first place. :smallconfused:

Which came first: the chicken or the egg the OOTS or the D&D?

[Lioness]

Well, my boyfriend introduced me to D&D, and then to OOTS. So I found more OOTS, and eventually joined the forum.

[Comet]

Read OOTS, started lurking the forums, found out that this is one of the few places on the Internet that isn't full of pants-on-head retards, created an account and posted a few times in the roleplaying games section. Moved on to mostly Media, Gaming and lurking Friendly Banter and sometimes even posting there.

Thanks, guys and girls. You really are a special bunch. :smallsmile:

[Lord Loss]

Read OOTS, started lurking the forums, found out that this is one of the few places on the Internet that isn't full of pants-on-head retards, created an account and posted a few times in the roleplaying games section. Moved on to mostly Media, Gaming and lurking Friendly Banter and sometimes even posting there.

Thanks, guys and girls. You really are a special bunch. :smallsmile:

That's about my story. Except i used to post alot in the Silly Message Games Board and the Roleplaying one. And I lurk in the fancomics board. Finding this through oots must be pretty common, though.

[Jack Squat]

I'm here because I'm bored. These forums are a good way to kill time on the computer.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

I had joined a forum that a friend of mine spent time on, largely due to his presence, and someone created a thread about the latest OotS comic (#214). There was quite an interval between me reading the comic and visiting the forums, and then I lurked for some time before joining, before lurking again for some time before posting.

In short, I've been here longer than you realise.

[Mr.Moron]

I don't remember why I joined originally. I just started posting again today so I could use the recruitment forum to pick up some players for a game I need to run.

[Jokasti]

Well OotS was the first webcomic I ever read. One day I accidentally clicked Forum ( I didn't know what it meant at the time) And then I joined.

[Cobalt]

You have no idea how far back this goes. Like, to 2001, if you're going on which of my interests led to other interests that led to other interests that brought me here. But that's a story for another day...


Basically, I did a Google search for a Let's Play of Space Empires IV that wasn't dead, found this little gem (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87074), lurked till page 15, joined the forum, and after the LP was comepleted I ventured out into the rest of the site.

I usually hang in Friendly Banter and Gaming (Other).

[BisectedBrioche]

Kind of a wierd one, but I followed a link to comic #235 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0235.html) from a TG related site.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I knew of the OotS and these forums as soon as the first comic was made. Someone who knew someone who knew Rich or one of the admins or something played an online MUD (Multi-User-Dungeon, think WoW but text only) I was involved in.

At the time I'd never played D&D, just a big RPG fan, so read the first few, shrugged, and moved on. Then I was introduced into D&D, joined the WizardsoftheCoast forums, and noticed how many folks were quoting OOTS. I was like, 'Hey, I remember that comic...' and joined a few days before Christmas in 2004. Been here ever since.

My roll? I feel kind of like the big brother/weird uncle who strolls in and kinda riles things up to the kid's enjoyment and the parent's annoyance but never does anything quote bad enough for them to call the cops :smallamused:

Respected for the length of time I've managed to remain here unbanned, while also being disreputable.

I run the official contests, DM a couple games, critique/mentor homebrew and generally try to sate my never ending urge to create and write. It's kind of like a warm-up for my actual writing.

[Mauve Shirt]

Friend recommended OOTS to me. I started lurking on the forums, and joined to talk about Start of Darkness. Then I moved around to SMBG and Friendly Banter. And now I'm mostly here because of the mind control to waste time and to socialize.

[Ichneumon]

a hyperlink

[The Dark Fiddler]

I came to the site... from a Google search, I think? I had just found Pokemon-X and was searching for a lot of types of webcomics, with series I liked (Kingdom Hearts, Digimon, and eventually Dungeons and Dragons even though I had never played). I found Order of the Stick, read it, then lurked the forum for a bit. I mostly hung out around the OotS and RPG sections, keeping up with discussions and learning more about how to play D&D. Eventually, I joined the forums. I don't know what drove me to finally sign up, I think it was an odd theory I wanted to post about potions and stuff in the battle for Azure City? Regardless, I've been spending most of my online freetime with this site at least open in my browser, and I haven't looked back.

Came for the comic, stayed for the community. :smallsmile:

[Szilard]

After my friend convinced me to play DnD, he also showed me OotS in book form, so I read the first two books as well as the two prequels. Then I found this site to read the rest of the webcomic, and I think it was a bit before comic 500 when I decided to check out the forum. I've mainly chilled in the Arts and Crafts and joined in on the big fancomic surge. Then I became a part of the town, and also joined in a few WW games.

As for my role now... I am I guess a semi-reputable artist here, I've played in a bunch of WW games, and I check out the homebrew and media threads every once in a while.

So I'm basically just this guy, you know.

[arguskos]

I honestly cannot recall. I think it was because I felt like joining a discussion community to post my homebrew to. It certainly wasn't for the comic, I know that much.

Oh, and if we're listing "roles", um... I'm just here. I don't really HAVE a role (other than that ******* folks just put up with cause he's not disruptive enough to get banned).

[TheThan]

Links from the wow forums sent me here. been hooked ever since.

[Shas aia Toriia]

My brother was reading the comic, so I read it too. One thing lead to another, and, well, here I am.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Came for the comic, signed up to post a crack pairing, stayed for the community (And the comic, of course!).

[Eloi]

My brother was reading the comic, so I read it too. One thing lead to another, and, well, here I am.

Hey, that's what I did. Get your own story.

[Catch]

In high school, I used to read gobs of webcomics, such that it took a couple of hours every day to catch up on all of them. I remember voting daily for some comics that gave previews as incentives, and on one ranking site - TopWebComics or Comixpedia, I've forgotten - The Order of the Stick was consistently #1 by a wide margin.

I distinctly remember a banner with Belkar gloating about being the best, and being annoyed that a stick figure comic was at the top. Of course, as is the nature of the internet, if something annoys you long enough, you're bound to investigate it, and after reading the archives in one or two sittings, I was willing to eat my crow.

[Lillith]

I was looking for a friendly, stable forum where I could discuss webcomics that I read. On an old forum a long time ago there was a link to this forum for whatever reason. When I remembered about this place I decided to take a look. Eventually decided to join up and stayed ever since (which is like a month now or so).

I mostly stay in the webcomic areas and the Friendly Banter. Sometimes I'll visit Media discussion. I'd like to join in some rp's, but I'm not good with the whole dice and DnD systems so yeah...

[Traveler]

Well... I was looking for D&D demotivational posters for fun. One that I found was OoTS based one. Found out it was an actual comic. Came here and got stuck on the comic and the forums. It was (is) all good content and worthwhile. Hung around for a year before joining and havn't regretted a moment of it.

Role? Uh... Hang around, try to be helpfull in the "roleplaying games" section. Usually not but I try.

[Moff Chumley]

I joined GitP to pick up chicks. :smallannoyed:

[Silly Wizard]

A loong looong time ago, my brother was getting into D&D. He invited me and a few other of our mutual friends to play. We played, and it was good fun. He ended up showing me Order of the Stick a week or two after our first game, so I started reading it.

Jump ahead like four years, and I was spending my Saturday nights playing D&D with my friend and some random strangers from Craigslist (who were awesome, not-murderer people). The DM made a OotS reference, which resparked my interest in this website. I started reading it weekly (after catching up again) and eventually creeped on to this forum when the Wizards community shut down for maintenance.

[Pocketa]

I like the Friendly Banter. And the interesting threads.

[Trog]

Played DnD forever. A friend brought over Rich's first book. I visited the site and was addicted to the comic. Glanced over the forums. Decided to sign up to play Stabbity Death. :smallbiggrin:

Had one of the first few posts in The Town and started Trog's Tavern. Became addicted to mind control Town posting. :smalleek:

Met lots of cool forumites in real life from various get-togethers. :smallcool: Transitioned out of The Town to Friendly Banter with occasional posts elsewhere.

This place has the highest concentration of awesome on the internet.

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

I don't remember how first I stepped upon the beaches of this fair land, all those long years ago.

My place here is that of the Fullbladder, as meaningful as the trees of the forest. I am member, as many here today are, and SMBGer, and many are more casually so. I have seen what was. I shall see what will be. And, if what is to be is a Playground without the Fullbladder, then without the Fullbladder the Playground will be. But such a time has not yet come. And so I remain.

[Castaras]

Wanted to make a comic. Thought I wasn't good enough to be able to draw a comic. Mum and Dad showed me the OotS comic. I joined the forums after feeling so proud that I deciphered some cryptograms. Made a thread, got told there was a thread already, got embarrassed, left. January '07, came back after having had a bad time in Runescape and needing something new, joined Town.

From then on, migrated to SMBG, AMEN, FB, and now Structured. Been to UKitp meetups, had a relationship made here then broken later on, got a rather large playground family (*hugs her wonderful brothers Rose, Bushranger, and Nexus* *hugs her awesome almost-triplets DeeRee and Curly* *hugs her lovely sisters Moon_Called and [I believe, through DeeRee and Curly] cycoris* - almost certainly more people I'm distantly related to too. :smallbiggrin:) and been involved in rather a silly amount of things.

[Moff Chumley]

In all seriousness, I joined GitP because I loved the communal atmosphere and familial vibe I got while I was lurking. I keep coming back because I thought "maybe if I post enough, I'll be part of that..."

Also, because it's a good place to exercise my lame attempts at metahumor, self pity, ironic self-reference, and generally making a nusience of myself.

The point is, whether all y'all like it or not, I ain't going nowhere. :smallcool:

[KuReshtin]

I found this place after someone in my then gaming group told me about it.
Read through the comic, signed up to the forum after having lurked a bit.
Lurked a bit more after signing up, then started posting a bit more when the first UKitP meet was being organised as I figured it'd be a cool thing to attend.

My role here is to be the UKitP Nerd-herder. That started after I made about three trips back and forth to to hotel from the pub at UKitP III.

[Blue Ghost]

I was linked to an OOTS comic from the Wizards forum. After several months of reading OOTS, I decided to come to the forum just to check it out. And now, I am a Playgrounder.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Someone I was playing with in a gameday made a OoTs reference, when I asked what was the Oots was the entire table fell silent, they gave me the web address. Started only reading the comic.

Then after my first foray into optimiation boards someone linked to a handbook hosted here, started reading threads got hooked up and I stoped lurking, what keeps me here is the great advice I get here and the friendly atmosphere of the forum.

My role in the playground... I spend most of my time in the RPG forum and sometimes in the friendly banter.

[Pheehelm]

I've been reading OotS since #337. Someone linked that strip on a forum and I liked the joke enough to read the read of the series. Back in December 2009 I was poking around the forums, found the RWA thread, liked the general attitude of it, read the rest of them, signed up to locate the seventh, and decided since I'd made an account I may as well stick around.

As for my role, uh...guy who stands quietly in the corner watching everyone and occasionally responding to what he sees, I guess.

[onthetown]

My friend showed me the comic about "Evil: A Growth Industry", so I started reading OotS and joined the forum for homebrew ideas. Now I just sort of go between Friendly Banter and Roleplaying Games.

[Don Julio Anejo]

I.. uhm... I'll probably spoiler it so you guys don't kill me :frown:
I've never played DnD.

*dodges rotten tomatoes*

My story? I used to play Neverwinter Nights. Religiously. Once one of the players posted a link to this comic on my favorite server's message board... I checked it out. I didn't get a lot of the jokes, but being a powergamer that I am, I knew enough about the mechanics to understand about 3/4 of them. And you know what? I found them the funniest thing since sliced bread.

So I just kept coming back for a fix.

Eventually I joined the forum so I could talk about the comic and clarify DnD jokes I didn't get. When Rich went on hiatus and OotS updated at best once a month, there was no real point talking about the same old strip for a month, so I checked out Friendly Banter just to see what's there...

... And here I am :smile: While I realize that I'm one of the more abrasive people on these boards (I honestly think that sometimes people need a shred of what I consider to be the truth, even if it goes against what pretty much everyone else on here is saying, especially on topics like bullying, social status or relationships, if only because it provides an alternate point of view from the other side of the fence or from a neutral third-party observer)... I love this forum (I pretty much only post in FB now unless a military-themed thread pops up in Media) and everyone on it :smile: This is probably the nicest message board on the web.

[Zalgo]

I was searching for information about DnD and found this site. This was in 2003...
Years later I decided to explore the forum and after reading a few topics I decided to join. Since there is almost nobody in Portugal playing DnD I thought this would be a good way to talk with other gamers, and that's why I'm still here. :smallbiggrin:

[rakkoon]

No prob Don Julio


Guest comic for 8-Bit Theater.
. . .it's been awhile.

Me too! Now how did I find that one?

[Salbazier]

I found this site from Google search. It was when I look for duskblade guide or at least that the oldest thing I remember. I came back several times here from google search but never had much interest to browse more.

Few months ago I found a saved page of a Nobilis PbP game here. I end reading more PbP threads and eventually read the comic as well.

Since I'm on vacation and has too much spare time, I decided to join and play PbP DnD.

My role? A player in PbP forum, someone who ask keep asking questions in roleplaying thread, and an additional commentator in other forums.

[Keld Denar]

I started reading OotS a number of years back. I was playing Living Greyhawk at the time, and a common practice was to keep character sheets and adventure certs in a 3 ring binder. Well, one of the players I played with had printed off an OotS comic and slid it into the front of his binder. I read it, loled, and after the game, went home to read almost the entire archive. Total bing.

I proceeded to do the same thing, with the "Go team cleric" comic for my cleric and the one about Durkon being a better warrior if he had a better head for numbers for my fighter, since calcing PA is annoying.

Nowadays, I mostly hang out in RPG forums, giving friendly optimization advice and providing spot rules citations and arguements as I see fit. I also play in a few PbP games 'round those parts.

[BritishBill]

{Scrubbed}

[Cleverdan22]

I definitely got into OotS before DnD. In fact, it's what got me started. I was just reading a slew of webcomics at one point, and this was one of them. It became one of my favorites, and eventually I had enough friends who read this and were interested in DnD to get a game going.

[Kallisti]

Discovering that PbP existed led me to stop lurking, which I did out of sheer boredom and because the Forum button was conveniently located near the OOTS comics.

[Helanna]

I'm shocked that nobody else has mentioned TVTropes yet.

Waaay back, I googled "list of fantasy cliches" for . . . a story I wanted to write, I think? It came up with TV Tropes. I'm sure you're all familiar with what happened next.

Now, this was when I was fairly new to the internet, and barely even knew what a webcomic was. But, after months of reading TV Tropes, the repeated references to OOTS, plus the few comics that I'd clicked on, convinced me to read it.

I lurked on the forums for a long time, then joined to post on the OOTS board, then branched out. Mostly I hang out in Friendly Banter, Media, and Webcomics, though I still lurk more than I post.

So really, TV Tropes didn't ruin my life, it drastically improved it! These forums are awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[Syka]

I'm not sure how but my ex came across OotS when we were both getting in to D&D. We were also reading a bunch of webcomics at the time.

Well, since we were long distance, we decided to utilize PBP games on here to be able to actually game together. He stopped gaming about a year later and I kept up for a bit more. Then I dropped it. Eventually, I wandered in to FB and here I've stayed since life has plotted to keep me unable to play many PBP games.

I still can't believe I've been here almost 5 years.

My role? I guess I'd be classed as an advice giver, with a dash of movie/tv critic thrown in.

[Eon]

I came here when a friend showed me OotS. I kept reading it. I used be on the RS forum, but that was awhile before I started reading. One day, I scrolled down and I saw a new button. I clicked forum and started reading. After seeing how nice this community was I joined. I posted on a few threads. After about a month I noticed the welcome new members thread so I went and put up a late I'm new here... :smallredface:

I just came back after maybe five months of little activity. I forgot my role... :smallfrown:

[Blue Ghost]

Oh, right. My role in the Playground? Lawful Good generalist wizard.
I post mostly in SMBG, as I revel in the silliness, and in the community and love.

[Trobby]

Here? Oh It's been exactly 5 years since I found GITP.

How do I know this? Because I found this site right alongside my first DnD Campaign. As it turns out, one of our players was rather fond of OOTS, so that led me to investigate here, and I've been reading it ever since. I don't remember which comic we were on at the time, but I'm pretty sure we've almost or nearly doubled that number by now.

As for the forums, I've lurked around ever since showing up, posted for awhile about 4 years ago, disappeared, then came back last year to post anew. I guess you could say I mix and match my time in several places. I don't really go to the comic discussion boards anymore, but I do hang out here in Friendly Banter a fair deal, occasionally play some RPG and message board games, and discuss media and art in their respective boards.

I'm a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none type, if you want to put me in a "role" on the forums. I guess that makes me a bit of a wild card. :smallwink:

[Zocelot]

I used to play a lot of D&D so I was really interested in the Gaming and Homebrew forums, but now I just play D&D casually and stick around for the Friendly Banter and sometimes Media Discussions.

[Moff Chumley]

Oh, right. My role in the Playground? Lawful Good generalist wizard.
I post mostly in SMBG, as I revel in the silliness, and in the community and love.

Put some pants on, ya damn hippies...

[Kobold-Bard]

I'd say my role is accidental troll, I tend to give fairly bad advice whilst trying to be helpful.

[Eloi]

Put some pants on, ya damn hippies...

Get off of me man! Death to the pants-conformists! WE SHALL BE PANTSLESS FOREVER!

[Scorpina]

Put some pants on, ya damn hippies...


Get off of me man! Death to the pants-conformists! WE SHALL BE PANTSLESS FOREVER!

*dons cutoffs*

I'm meeting you half-way, you stupid hippies.

[Eloi]

*dons cutoffs*

I'm meeting you half-way, you stupid hippies.

:smallannoyed: We don't take too kindly to compromises round these parts.

[Blue Ghost]

Put some pants on, ya damn hippies...

Was that addressed to me? No, I am not a hippie. I'm Lawful Good. And I do wear pants.

[Teddy]

A few years ago, I became interested in D&D, but lacking anyone to play with, I just read through the core books until I knew them inside and out. My dad bought me the first OotS book for Christmas to give me something more to read, and then I got the rest of them for following birthdays and Christmases.

One and a half year ago, I needed something to kill the time with during long school-days, so I decided to go here and continue reading from where WaXPs ended.

Then, later on, I decided to check out the forum. At first, it looked mildly interesting, but I joined anyway and started lurking in the OotS section. Then I got caught up in the preceeder to the original "Morally justified" debate, and continued to argue in it until we finally decided to let it be when the second thread reached an end. I then continued to hang around the OotS section until I found its threads too slow and/or uninteresting for my tastes, and moved here to Friendly Banter a few months ago.

Now I mostly hang around in RB and provide hugs and advice in the Depression thread, but drop off any comment wherever I find it needed.

[Recaiden]

A friend got me interested in D&D, and while looking for things I stumbled over the homebrew section here, and then stayed.