For those of you who know me, and there are only a few, you know my story. Not long ago, I was on the verge of closing the game window for good. A lot has happened in the short period of time since.
For those that are interested in just how low I was feeling, you can check out my thread (which I actually thought would be blocked by moderation):
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
After posting the above thread, although there were not many replies (I did state therein that replies were unnecessary as it was not posted for replies but really a message to moderators in general), I received some friend request.
I did not contribute to these forums much but I have been reading the threads for a long time and some of you have become "household" names to me. After posting The Day the Music Died, I received a few friend requests. Just prior to that, I had posted in a thread about Yancycan and inquired about "Bigfoot" and learned about Easter Eggs and signs on Chambers Bay. With much help from more new friends, I was off on my way to search for magical creatures and stuff. I truly believe, without these new friends, and my quest to find things, I would have stopped playing a few months ago.
Fast forward to present time....I have been teasing a new friend about his "secret" connections to WGT which he has adamantly denied (which I would expect if it was a secret connection). In an effort to compile documentary evidence of this connection, I started conducting opposition research to include in my dossier'. I made subtle inquiries here and there and started to make connections through profile pages. For many days I would scour profiles comparing first and last friends and going back, back, back in time through years of WGT members. Ironically, I was able to establish connections from this friend to a moderator and as I continued to follow the moderator's connections, it led me further back in time, always linking each member to earlier established friends until, one day, I found myself at the end.... I ended up with the profile MisterWGT.
Having no education as to the origins of WGT, I then resorted to google and Wikipedia and eventually, by comparing photographs, I confirmed that MisterWGT was none other than the founder... we will call him CN (since we can't name names). Then I started doing parallel searches and eventually came upon what I believe were the select few who demo'ed the game in 2007 and a larger group who were playing the Beta version in 2008. My understanding is that the game was not released until 2009.
What was fascinating was that some of the people that I see in these threads are intermingled with some of the early pioneers and some, I would suggest, were the early pioneers that have since changed profiles. (Were these the earliest known multi- accounters!!! Are today's greats really just a bunch of cheaters?!!!!).
In seeking answers, many times I resorted to searching these forums and going through the archives. I have spent many hours digesting the archives and became more and more fascinated with the history of this game. So many great people who made their mark are no longer with us....none have been forgotten.
It is funny to see some of the earliest threads where people complain about the meter, cheaters and having to spend credits...some things never change. The threads are not much different from today except terminology has changed as has censorship. Back then VEM was known as "the Beast"!!!! I read post from members like YankeeJim, Andyson, CEverett and YancyCan and so many others.,
What I found was that WGT is so much more than a game, so much, much, more that it could just be THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED!!! I have never played an online game where I spend more time reading and chatting than actually playing the courses or hitting practice balls back and forth in the woods looking for things. I have never laughed so hard or cried so much...
I found bonds that were formed, relationships made, and friends lost. I have seen good tidings and sad farewells.
Curiously, I found that too many members last friend was YancyCan and then they disappeared...hmmmmm (Alien connection - You Betcha').
For someone who once preferred to stay in the shadows I am now forming my own bonds and enjoying shared experiences with new friends. My most enjoyable moments come more from PMs and threads than playing vicariously through an Avatar. There are days where I may play 1 round but spend hours chatting or pouring through the Forum.
There is no question, WGT is more than a golf game if you want it to be.
Do yourself a favor....visit the past. Go read some old forum threads...You may find as much enjoyment as I have. Go figure, I was ready to quit and was convinced otherwise by ghosts and an Alien hunter I never met.
PS. One of my favorite historical threads was when Mr. Hope lost it...lmao...he was fuming and, if that was written today...there would be a lot of ******** and he would be in moderation, like me. He seems so harmless now.
.EDIT: PPS.. Before someone mentions it, yes, I could have simply searched the threads under MisterWGT and saved myself hours and hours of going through profiles and forum archives. 1) I did not know there was a MisterWGT until I came upon the profile; and 2) It was more fun my way!!!