What was/is the whole story behind TGN and the OT section?

[Shawn Zipay]

I would say the biggest thing that killed this forum was EA creating the Battlelog forums (which I think is utterly useless, and just a spam and troll fest).

Or the surge of publishers and developers using social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to push news instead of traditional methods. You know what's awesome? Not getting emails about new Battlefield updates or just game updates in general because it's just easier for the studios to post to Battlelog or their store page on Steam. Having to find out later in the day, usually by chance, that DICE put up some info via Battlelog on what's coming soon is always a good time.

Or even just John Q. Public in general using social media (Twitter/Facebook again) to communicate instead of general or specialized forums. There are now also tons of different IM methods across all kinds of devices. Who needs a forum anymore?

Or things like the rise of the Tomb Raider Steam Community.

Or how games now don't really have "massive" patches that get hyped up days or weeks ahead of time (there are still some instances of this, but it's far less prevalent now) due to things like Steam and Origin where multiple patches can arrive in a day for a game and nobody really bats an eye.

Or the surge of YouTube and Twitch and those newer forms of media replacing the old. We even have devs and publishers streaming their previews, bypassing the need for news sites. Why waste time and effort getting someone out to preview something when we can do it ourselves to thousands upon thousands of people and all it costs us is an hour out of our day.

But nah, it's probably just me.

[signa]

I would say the biggest thing that killed this forum was EA creating the Battlelog forums (which I think is utterly useless, and just a spam and troll fest).

[Shawn Zipay]

Whatever it was, you took Spawndmon's hard work, where he built a great, thriving site and you destroyed it ha.

Look at this place, it's desolate now.

Ah yes, that's me. Nailed it.

So, did you just return to try to insult me and the site with completely baseless accusations?

[=98=]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]673[/ATTACH]

That's what it was? I thought I just had BO or something.

Whatever it was, you took Spawndmon's hard work, where he built a great, thriving site and you destroyed it ha.

Look at this place, it's desolate now.

[Shawn Zipay]

Zips didn't really have much respect of those users who kept the place quite active and activity kinda subsided after that.

That's what it was? I thought I just had BO or something.

[jimykx]

Makes me wish I had registered earlier and not spend so many years just stalking the forums. It's always great to learn more about something so charismatic and rich of story, thanks for sharing this with us, if you have anything else I will be interested to read it!

[=98=]

I remember from the start, from the OT boom. I never went to WaiOffTopic or FeverGaming, in fact no one I know did?

The biggest issues that split the community were when they tried to expand too quickly into other "Total" sites... "Total GTA", "Total Half Life" etc... Then, Spawndemon left and Zips came in. Zips didn't really have much respect of those users who kept the place quite active and activity kinda subsided after that.

Also, we all kinda grew up and got jobs. I think back in the day, 2007 and so we were all going from school to Uni (Hawkers, myself, Oli, Moobs etc...) and so we had less and less time. I think the peak of everything was the TBF2 Reading Festival outing... feature Oli, myself, Bisley_bob, Skaggy, Hawkers and some others. It was just a pure and simple mess which ended in riot Police. They were the days

Nowadays, I know Oli has emigrated from the UK and working as a diving instructor in Asia, I emigrated too to Germany and working in software industry for a large company, Moobs... moobs disappeared, Skaggy is stoned somewhere and Hawkers I believe too is working in UK. Bisley_bob is now serving his country in the Army and in Germany... so we're all spread out.

It is a shame what happened to TBF2, but i'm not really sure what could have been done to save it.

Now, I will post things to remind everyone of what used to be:









This is Oli and I absolutely hanging out our backsides after a party night. Fosters tinnies for breakfast.

[signa]

I remember that.

[stilla-killa]

I found one of my old OTR sig someone had made me back in the day.

[signa]

TGN shall always exist.

this

[stilla-killa]

TGN shall always exist.

[Stev0esque]

I kinda forgot about it. I hadn't even realised I had already posted in this thread.

[stilla-killa]

I didn't expect to see this thread again.

[CptainCrunch]

I dont know, I always wondered that as well.

[TheEn|gma]

Was nice to read and remember all the OT names again, weird how you can spend hundreds of hours doing something and barely recall any of it. Good to see this place still stands as a testament to my wasted youth.

:awes

Just wanted to echo Mooby's point, I've been on a random BF2/TBF2 nostalgia trip tonight and it never fails to amaze me all the hard work that still goes in to this place and on a selfish note how all that work preserve's so many memories for everyone that drops by.

The people who keep showing up every couple of years is a testament to just how good the community is here, so I just wanted to say cheers!

Also why was I always so serious at like 16/17!?! :awes