The place evolved with us along with it. The strategy discussions and all the tips/hints was heaven for diehard gamers like us. I wished every game I played had such a great site dedicated to it. I looked for some of them and they just didn't measure up. But nothing ever stays the same. After awhile, the skill and knowledge of the players peaked and things started to get a bit stale. My brother told me to check out the OT. I was quite surprised at what I found. The OT was to college BS sessions what the strat forums were to gamers. While I was shy at first, I eventually jumped right in.

THEN CIVII MP WAS RELEASED.

If was the first MP online game I had ever played. Ming and I bought it the day it came out. REAL PEOPLE, not a predictable AI. Ming and I had been competing with each other our whole lives, but being married and having children had really put a crimp in the amount of time we spent together. Online gaming rekindled our head to head competitive juices. It also rekindled renewed interest at Apolyton. Pages and pages of new strategies and loopholes. By continually adding new games/forums, Apolyton has continued to be a great place for gamers to continue to visit. I always thought it would be interesting to be a moderator but never really did anything about it, so when I was asked to do it, I agreed without thinking. It was a good way to give back to the community that had been responsible for 1000's of hours of gaming enjoyment and camaraderie on the boards. If I had known how much work it was going to be, maybe my answer would have been different. But it is for a good cause. For all the work I do, my brother does 5x as much. I'm glad I've had a chance to play a role in this place. It's been a riot. Thanks to everyone that's had a hand in it, and all the people I've met, virtually and in real life.

/rah (Richard A. H****)