Pie Crust
Okay a little background. Well okay, a lot of background. I just love Star Wars. I've owned VHS copies since they came out and watched them I don't know how often. And played so many of the franchised computer games. I can't begin to image how many hours I played X-Wing, B-Wing, Tie-Fighter and Imperial Pursuit as a boy. So back in 2003 I was absolutely enraptured to learn that a starwars MMO was coming out! Even though at the time I had no idea what an MMO was, I knew it was a computer game and it has Starwars dammit! Star Wars: Galaxies had been born! If I was going to break my MMO cherry, then this is surely the way to break it.
Forums appeared and as the game was developed more of the world was revealed to me. I read about adventures in the Dune Sea, combat with monstrous beings, player communities, traders, Rebels, Imperials, spies. And the ever present hint of secret Jedi-ness lurking in the shadows. I was excited, nay aroused, as week by week, more features were added and more beta stories appeared on the forums. And believe me, what really sold it to me was a story about fishing. The first fishing expedition. I was, excuse the pun, completely hooked.
So as soon as I could I pre-ordered from the States, I'd even have paid for the guy tio stand in the queue and by a copy when the door opened at midnight, and ten have it chilled and air freighted over. I waited patiently for the release date to arrive. And in due course, a DHL man arrived with a huge box demanding some exorbitant amount of import tax. "Here, take my wallet, just gimme the box!"
And thus began a series of late nights, followed by 4 hours stints in bed, followed by work, then home to repeat again. To mix a metaphor, I was grinding my day job just to get home and fire up the game. It was unhealthy. But boy, back then it felt sooooo good!
Thus Gorja La'Tau was born, forged on the harsh plains of Talus. He became a warrior! I was Rebel scum.
The beauty of Star Wars Galaxies to me, was the flexibility of the class system. It's something no other MMO I have tried has had. And something SWG sadly lost in 'upgrades'. When your character was born into the game, they were nothing, but they could be anything. The only limits on what "Class" you were, where your own desires (within the confines of the game mechanic "skill points" of course). I toyed with several professions, as my whims changed, combat, crafting, healing, but always I kept my dancing skills. People always used to laugh at me that I played a Star Wars game but most of all I enjoyed the dancing. But it was fun to unwind doing it.
I had known a nice lady called K'Vera in the game since almost the first week I had been playing. She had a band called Talus Moon. I learned tips and tricks from her. And we even met in person. Here we are in Bristol:
Sometimes I really think I am Mark Corrigan. I'm the one on the right.
Eventually however the game really started to piss me off. The game wasn't as much fun as it used to be. There seemed to be continual changes and a general overall degredation of the immersion. So in typical Nostromoo style I packed my bags, sorted my affairs and decided to quit. Well, not without going out with a bang! I decided to go to Coronet City, visit the cantina (which is like a bar) and strut my funky stuff. And then quit. Always leave them wanting more, see?
Cooked apple filling
So after that brief *cough* background story, we come to the title of this post. Where people meet. Back in those days, I was Gorja. Or rather, he was me. I made him that way. He was lost, and to be honest I was lost.
So there I am in game land, alone, when all of a sudden there's someone else there. As pixels go, these were pretty cute. And wait, did she just /wave at me? Maybe I'll try a ..... /wink! Ha! Interaction. She's probably a man though, most of them are you know.....
Actually she wasn't, and she was very sweet and fun to talk to. So we did. She was an Entertainer, and I was an Entertainer. I danced, she played, or someone else played and we both danced. And I forgot I was going to quit. I was lost, but then I was found. And instead of quitting we both joined Talus Moon instead.
And inevitably, Talus Moon had another get together, this time in Brighton. And this was the first time we met in person:
Did I say I was Mark Corrigan? That's a Barbour jacket you know, and I'm not a farmer. Do you know how old I was there?
So where do people meet? Well some meet through friends, in bars, in clubs, in supermarkets. Some meet on train station platforms. Some actually meet in "cyberspace". It's strange how people meet. There are many stories.
Custard
So it was 4 years ago. The 17th of July 2004. There was an Edward Hopper exhibition at the Tate gallery, so I'd invited "Sassira" to join me in London. She likes art right, everyone likes art. We're just friends. Friends go to art galleries in London all the time. What's wrong with that? It's just an Edward Hopper exhibition. If that's all it is, we can board our trains afterward and never speak of it again. But if it's not......nah, don't get carried away. It's just an Edward Hopper exhibition. We'll meet, have a very pleasent discussion about Nighthawks, then slowly drift apart again like passing ships.
So as depicted in glourious 640x480 camera phone colour goodness, we met for the first time without the company of friends:
And we had a good time. We saw the painting, and talked about Edward Hopper. We had lunch. We talked some more. We walked back to the station though Hyde Park. And we held hands. And we got to the station. And we kissed.
And for the entire journey home I thought about it. We spoke on the phone. And I was happy. Across the table on the train Fred was happy too, although we didn't talk much:
Fred got off with his owner in Swindon. I stayed onboard.
So that's how we met. A chance encounter in a virtual bar. A 3D computer animated representation of the greatest science fiction franchise to have existed. Had I decided to leave a week earlier; had she decided to come in a week later; we never would have virtually met. And without virtually meeting, I would not have met her at all.
Coffee and mints
After London of course I met her again at her home:
And we had a baby!
Oh wait! No, that hasn't happened has it. That was just a baby I was holding.
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