# When did you start posting your story hour?



## el-remmen (Jul 7, 2006)

Curiosity struck me this afternoon, wondering what the spread of starting story hours over the last six years or so. . .  Was there a time period where most began?  How many recent ones are there compared to older ones?

So in the poll I will add in moment, please choose the range of dates that most closely matches when you started posting it.

If you have more than one story hour please choose your oldest one and post the dates of the later ones to the thread itself.

Also, even if your story hour is defunct or completed please take part in the poll as how long they lasted does not matter as much to what I would like to find out.

Just to make things more interesting, feel free to post what inspired you to being posting it (I assume (cntxt)'s RTTOEE and P.Kitty's DoD will be the most popular reasons).


----------



## Plane Sailing (Jul 7, 2006)

I can't be entirely sure; I know it was pre-2002 (when these boards went live) because the storyhour forum was the first one that was opened so that storyhours could be copied across. My storyhour is certainly among the oldest thread on these boards (thread id = 122!).

I'm pretty sure that I started it in Q1 2001 or thereabouts; inspired (as you guessed) by Piratecats and Contacts storyhours, plus Sagiro's storyhour too. It seemed like a fun way of recording our experiences and there was the idea that it might be fun for others to read too.

As I recall, the number of storyhours ramped up quite quickly, and i know I don't spend nearly as much time in the storyhour forum as I used to (mostly because of increased pressure at work) but I get the impression that new storyhours are being born on a regular basis. I look forward to seeing what this poll looks like in a few days time!

Cheers


----------



## gfunk (Jul 7, 2006)

Story Hour's that I've played some role in authoring:

1. Gfunk's Story Hour (http://www.enworld.org/archive/index.php/t-33249.html)
Start: December 12, 2002
End: April 30, 2004

2. JollyDoc's Shackled City (http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=85618)
Start: June 30, 2003
End: November 2, 2005

3. JollyDoc's Age of Worms (http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2813295)
Start: Not sure b/c of server "hiccup" (Restarted on May 9, 2006)
Current . . .


----------



## Piratecat (Jul 7, 2006)

I'm trying to remember - 3e launched in August, 2000, right? That means that Eric opened his first board in August, 1999, right after 3e had been announced. We had been playtesting 3e since November 1998; I joined the boards in September or August of '99.  

I started the first intimations of my story hour in January or February of 2000 -- really, I just posted what happened in a really fun game, and people started asking me questions. When (contact) emailed me an already written copy of his Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, I though it was so good I started posting it. I think Nemmerle was third, or close to it, and then Eric split us off into our own forum (the second forum on the boards.)

I can't believe it's been six years. The question is, does anyone still remember that first post about the minotaur sea battle?


----------



## RangerWickett (Jul 7, 2006)

I know I started the Savannah Knights storyhour in fall of 2000. It was a modern game, using 3rd edition rules, that we played before 3rd edition had even come out, since we just used the stuff leaked by Eric Noah.

Then there was my Tides of Homeland storyhour, which was never quite as popular. I put that out in 2001 to '02, and then it petered off.

I started my current storyhour, set in the same world as Savannah Knights, in May of last year. I'm way behind compared to where we are in the game, but that's mostly because I'm writing it like fiction, with very few synopses.

I take pride in the fact that the Savannah Knights storyhour was the 78th thread on these messageboards when we ported over way back when.


----------



## RangerWickett (Jul 7, 2006)

By the way, I still think we storyhour writers should be able to curse in our storyhours. *grin*


----------



## Lazybones (Jul 8, 2006)

I started _Travels through the Wild West_ some time in the fall of 2001, although I don't have an exact date since the board changeover interrupted it. Finished it at the start of June 2003. 

Then I started _The Shackled City_ a few weeks later in June 2003; that one's about to wrap up. I'll probably start another one a month or so after that one ends.

I love to write.


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 8, 2006)

Well, Book I of Out of the Frying Pan was on the last incarnation of Eric's Board and I had just started Book II when we had to port all our threads over.  

So Book I began in February 2001, not sure when Book II began, but I had to re-create the thread in January of 2002 (thread #35).  I then began a reprise of Book I: Gathering Wood (inspired by Ranger Wickett's reprise of Savannah Knights (and if you look at that thread it says as much)) around the same time.

I do not know if I was third, because I think Wickett's SH was up before mine - so that would make me fourth, followed soon after by Wulf Ratbane's and Sagiro's and Old One's - but it was once of the first.

I remember being drawn to the story hour because of a thread where PirateCat described one of the PCs in his game polymorphing into a tape-worm so that another PC could swallow him and carry him through some gate or portal.

But when I began to read (cntxt)'s RTTOEE I was hooked and was certain that when my new campaign began I would do something similar.

The rest is history. . .   I can't believe the campaign is over and it is nearly six years later and I am still writing it. 1037 pages, 545522 words. . . wow. . .


----------



## megamania (Jul 8, 2006)

Under a Darksun I started around Feb 2002
Strikeforce: Morituri around Dec 03
Creation Schema was Oct 04
and for 2006 there is Pathfinders, Siberys Seven and Khyber Crawler


Late this year will be The Dragons or Dragons: Blue (undecided) which is a James Bond type done in Eberron.


TOO many ideas and too little time to do them.


----------



## Nonlethal Force (Jul 8, 2006)

I feel quite young, actually.  Bitterness Overcome technically began in February of this year (2006).  But it went a bit belly up due to me DMing too many games and not having time to write.  But then with the board crash of May ... I decided not to reinstate one of the games I was DMing online and I didn't push to get some of the games that I was playing in to restart and that gave me free time.  So I restarted posting to the thread - and haven't looked back since.

For those who are loyal readers, I lift up my hat and say thanks ... whoever you are.

For those who aren't readers, I invite you to come on over and read.  You'll note that it is intentionally designed differently than most Story Hours.  It is supposed to have a feel as though it were a novel.  Currently it sits at the equivalent of about 50,000 words.  I know that isn't much to you "old timers" who've been doing this for years.  But I'm excited about it!

Also, in the beginning I debated on whether to use color coding for the text - it is an option that I love but also know that irritates others.  I went with it.  But, PirateCat - this is specifically for you if you are still reading: I have recently added an Sblock at the end of each post that contains the exact text without color.  So please, read away!


----------



## Steverooo (Jul 9, 2006)

I've had four, most started in 2003, and one in 2004.  I won't list tem, as they are at the top of the Story Hours Index, at the top of the preceeding page.

One was a quick tale that was posted as a one-shot, detailing a solo adventure that I ran for one PC.  Probably too little dialog, and I doubt anyone (much) ever even saw it.

The next was a tale told on Christmas day, 2003, when the heat was out, inspired by some magic items posted by another ENWorlder, on a thread linked to in that post.  That one got a few comments.

The next one, "A Bad End", is actually the earliest, posted after the campaign ended.

The final one started in early 2004, but soon folded, as the GM just couldn't seem to find the time to post, and soon lost most/all of her PCs.  Next time, I'll wait until the campaign is concluded, and then start a thread only if it lives!

I wouldn't blame any of my efforts on PC, etc.  I just started these few tales because I thought someone else might like to see them...  From the (lack of) responce, I'm not so sure that's true, now...

Still, I've been thinking about starting a new Story Hour.  I haven't decided whether or not to, yet.  Most of the ones I've started have been "different" from the others on the boards, in most respects; this one, not so much...


----------



## Herremann the Wise (Jul 10, 2006)

I started my lone Story Hour - The Happenings of Lucifus Cray - in October 2004. It has been on hold for almost a year until last week when I thought I'd haul out another installment. Updates are irregular at best unfortunately but it's a fun yarn. I imagine I'll eventually catch up to where we are in game.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise


----------



## Tsillanabor (Jul 10, 2006)

I started mine this year but lost it (and my account) in the crash. I restarted it fairly quickly after that.

I was inspired by the great story hours I've read here and regret over not writing up some of my older campaigns.


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 10, 2006)

Herremann the Wise said:
			
		

> I imagine I'll eventually catch up to where we are in game.





Yeah, maybe when the campaign is over. . .  

I fell further and further behind on mine (at once point about 20-some-odd sessions behind) and now that the campaign ended this past January I have finally gotten to within 10 sessions.


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 10, 2006)

Hey Zad, are you started posting your story hour in 2000?  That doesn't seem to jive with my memory, but I could be wrong. . .

And there are still a bunch of folks that have not voted/posted:


Sepulchrave
Sagiro
Doc Midnight
Greywolf-ELM
Henry
KidCthulhu
 (cntxt)
 Wulf Ratbane
 carpedavid
old one

And I am sure there are more. . .


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 13, 2006)

I was hoping for more data.  :\


----------



## spyscribe (Jul 13, 2006)

el-remmen said:
			
		

> I was hoping for more data.  :\



I think that given the rate of story hour morbidity, if you want to get a good idea of when story hours start, the thing to do is to go through the forum and check the date on the first post of threads you're interested in.

Tedious, but effective.


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 13, 2006)

spyscribe said:
			
		

> I think that given the rate of story hour morbidity, if you want to get a good idea of when story hours start, the thing to do is to go through the forum and check the date on the first post of threads you're interested in.
> 
> Tedious, but effective.




I don't know if I want to know _that_ badly. 

Also, in some cases with older story hours - they were started before the current incarnation of the boards.


----------



## Gold Roger (Jul 13, 2006)

Inspired by El-Remmen, Piratecat, Sagiro, Old One, Rel (where is he anyway? Dissection was a great thread) and all those other great writers I tried my hands at SH writing in the early 06.

However, our entire group and especially I am terrible with note taking, I could hardly keep a regular schedule. Then came the crash, the game took a turn I wasn't especially fond of and our group is currently on hiatus, if not even inofficially disbanded and I wasn't especially confident in my writing.

So, yeah, I didn't repost it and am part of the great mass of disheartened sh writer that gave up.

Maybe I'll try again at a later date (most likely when I'm player) or I'll bribe/bully one of my coplayers into writing one .


----------



## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jul 13, 2006)

el-remmen said:
			
		

> I was hoping for more data.  :\



 Here's one more, at least. 

Started mine back in Oct. 2004...coming up on 2 years of (semi/not really) daily updates. Whew, I write too much.


----------



## Steverooo (Jul 14, 2006)

el-remmen said:
			
		

> I was hoping for more data.  :\




Why don't you go to the Story Hours Index, and check the "Date Started" fields?  Not too much work...


----------



## Shemeska (Jul 14, 2006)

I've got Storyhour #1 started around Feb 2004, and Storyhour #2 around March 2005 or thereabouts.

Both are still ongoing, and I expect them to last several more years each.


----------



## Shemeska (Jul 14, 2006)

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> By the way, I still think we storyhour writers should be able to curse in our storyhours. *grin*




*chuckle* I get away with some of the content I have in my storyhours, but it's the cursing I have to mask...


----------



## Mycanid (Jul 14, 2006)

Sigh ... you forgot another category in the poll el-remmen ... before the crash. I had started a few months before the crash and was doing fiction. The crash wiped it all out. I had it only in hand written form too.

Ah well. Life happens, eh?


----------



## Silver Moon (Jul 14, 2006)

October 2002.    I had just emailed the Party Log of our group's new Western campaign to my players and had sent a CC to my longtime friend Piratecat thinking he might enjoy it.  He did and urged me to visit ENWorld and post it as a Story Hour.   I've been here ever since.   BTW, this is the link to that campaign:  http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=28906


----------



## el-remmen (Jul 14, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> Sigh ... you forgot another category in the poll el-remmen ... before the crash. I had started a few months before the crash and was doing fiction. The crash wiped it all out. I had it only in hand written form too.
> 
> Ah well. Life happens, eh?





No, I didn't - just choose the range of the date for when you started even if it doesn't exist anymore.


----------



## Mycanid (Jul 14, 2006)

Okay sir....

WHACK!

I voted.


----------



## Plane Sailing (Jul 14, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I can't believe it's been six years. The question is, does anyone still remember that first post about the minotaur sea battle?




I remember reading it. I remember that the PCs were on a boat and a galley crewed by minotaur pirates was bearing down on them - and just before the minotaur ram strikes the ship, their cleric jumps overboard between the two ships, channelling divine energy into his holy shield which turned it into an immovable object. The pirate ship smashes into the shield and pretty much falls apart. 

At about that point I thought "what a munchkin game" and didn't read any more. It's safe to say that I've revised my opinion 

Cheers


----------



## Nonlethal Force (Jul 14, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> ... before the crash. I had started a few months before the crash and was doing fiction. The crash wiped it all out.




As was my case, too.  Fortunately, when I write I type - my fingers on a keyboard can almost keep up with my thoughts ... much better than my fingers with a pen or pencil, that's for sure!  So for me it was merely a matter of opening up Word and reposting.  That's why if you look at the first few posts on my storyhour it looks like I did much posting in a hurry in May.  Alas, tis not the case.  Just catching up from the crash.

I feel your pain, Mycanid.  Feel free to give mine a quite read and a comment, though!


----------



## el-remmen (Aug 2, 2006)

I thought I'd give this another bumparoonie!


----------



## Monty Tomasi (Aug 2, 2006)

Today! Then again the campaign only properly kicked off on the second day of this week


----------



## Aangord (Aug 20, 2006)

I will be starting a story hour at the end of this year.

i have been DM for several months now in my gaming group

A'vandira Silvermane has written a storyhour about the adventures that our group has experienced ( altough he is still several session's in updates behind   )

luckily we have a surplus of Dm's in our group of 8 ( of which 6 people are passive or active DM)

So i have now a welcome break From the master seat. ( very convient now real life has caught up ) I also wil be recording the adventures of our gaming group this time around until we switch back to The Great Forest campaign that i run.


----------



## Shmoo (Aug 20, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> The question is, does anyone still remember that first post about the minotaur sea battle?




While I never posted a story hour, I joined the boards sometime in late 2000 or early 2001. I began reading Sagiro's story hour and he had already posted quite a bit of it. I'm not sure what made me read it originally. Of course there were many fewer story hours then, so it was easy to find one. Once I caught up on Sagiro's, I started reading yours, Piratecat. They are still the only two I read (and as you can tell from my post count, I don't participate in the rest of the boards much either).

I also remember that sometime in the summer of 2001 or 2002, I ran into Sagiro at a baseballprospectus.com event at the Uno's in Kenmore Square. I had long suspected he was a baseball fan due to his use of player names as NPCs (Embree, Conine, etc.), but it was funny to meet him there (I recognized his real name on his nametag).

Unfortunately, I never got to participate in either of your games and I no longer live in Boston. Missed opportunities...


----------



## el-remmen (Apr 7, 2007)

Just some threadomancy - to see if we have anyone else who needs to vote. . .


----------



## BLACKDIRGE (Apr 7, 2007)

Wow, has it really been almost four years? Damn.

I started Metamorphosis in June of 03. You'd think I'd have it finished by now.   

BD


----------



## el-remmen (Jun 10, 2007)

Bump, since we have some new ones since the last time this surfaced, and some old folks who still have not voted. . .


----------



## Rackhir (Jun 10, 2007)

Well our DM Shilsen had been sending us summaries of the sessions from when we started in March '05. But I actually started posting them to the story hour thread the following January '06.


----------



## aboyd (Jun 12, 2007)

Thanks for the bump, el-remmen.  I just voted.  I started my story hour just a few days ago.  I'm stuck on the next entry.  It is the first entry I didn't write -- the DM wrote it.  But it doesn't jibe with what comes before or after it, so I'm rewriting it, and it's _really_ difficult to keep the DM's flavor and even a few lines of his text.  Back to the struggle....


----------

